WEBVTT 00:00:00.418 --> 00:00:07.226 - I'll call this meeting to order. This is the Bloomington City Bloomington Common Council budget hearings 00:00:07.226 --> 00:00:14.035 - for 2027 and It's our final evening. This is Wednesday, August 26th, and we have a number of departments 00:00:14.035 --> 00:00:20.713 - and Commissions the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board the office of the city clerk office of the 00:00:20.713 --> 00:00:27.262 - Common Council office of the mayor office of the controller legal and risk management department and 00:00:27.490 --> 00:00:36.907 - Human Resources Department and Information and Technology Services Department ITS and each one is allotted 00:00:36.907 --> 00:00:46.061 - ten minutes So let's begin Excuse me councilmember Rallo. Would you like me to call the roll? We should 00:00:46.061 --> 00:00:56.094 - call the roll. Yes Councilmember Flaherty Stossburg here Piedmont Smith Zulek here as sorry Daily Rallo here Ruff 00:00:57.346 --> 00:01:06.284 - Rosenberger Thank You deputy city clerk McDonald so with that we'll begin would you the controller like 00:01:06.284 --> 00:01:15.308 - to speak first or Okay, mr. Allen did you have something to say all right, let's begin the Monroe County 00:01:15.308 --> 00:01:24.246 - Capital Improvement Board Mr. Weichert. Thanks for joining us I'm here this evening with Jeff Underwood 00:01:24.246 --> 00:01:26.910 - our controller Jim sober Stein 00:01:27.074 --> 00:01:33.628 - Treasurer Doug Bruce, who's your appointee to the Capital Improvement Board and Talisha Coppock is here 00:01:33.628 --> 00:01:40.056 - with us this evening from the Convention Center So my my nervousness tonight is not the presentation. 00:01:40.056 --> 00:01:46.673 - It's the ability to advance the slides. So all right An update on what's happened in 2026 the Convention 00:01:46.673 --> 00:01:49.950 - Center expansion building envelope is completed and 00:01:50.082 --> 00:01:56.585 - There were property transfers that occurred For properties south of the current Convention Center that 00:01:56.585 --> 00:02:02.961 - came from both the Redevelopment Commission and the county Requests for those transfers were made in 00:02:02.961 --> 00:02:06.686 - January in keeping with the interlocal agreement they were 00:02:06.818 --> 00:02:13.178 - We were told they could be transferred in April and we agreed to the transfers It was in June 5th that 00:02:13.178 --> 00:02:19.477 - those transfers actually occurred and the deeds were transferred So those properties have been in our 00:02:19.477 --> 00:02:26.022 - ownership since June 5th Selected a major art installation project and contracted for design of limestone 00:02:26.022 --> 00:02:32.444 - arts projects Some of you voted on the public vote on the art installation you know that we've selected 00:02:32.444 --> 00:02:35.038 - a the wisteria wrap around the bridge and 00:02:35.138 --> 00:02:42.341 - We had $520,000, which was the 1% appropriation for art. $400,000 of that was designed or committed 00:02:42.341 --> 00:02:49.760 - for the art installation. The remaining $100,000 is for the next phase of that art project, which will 00:02:49.760 --> 00:02:57.107 - include local art for exhibit. We awarded alternates for the existing building. And I want to mention 00:02:57.107 --> 00:03:04.670 - that among those alternates, in February of 2025, we approved the final design of the convention center. 00:03:04.802 --> 00:03:11.554 - And at that time, we set aside six project activities that were identified as alternates. We weren't 00:03:11.554 --> 00:03:18.907 - sure that we could commit to the funding of those alternates. Those alternates were in the current convention 00:03:18.907 --> 00:03:25.592 - center. And they included an IT upgrade, a kitchen upgrade, a new HVAC system, a direct outdoor air 00:03:25.592 --> 00:03:32.478 - system, new window replacements, all to improve the efficiency of the building, and some masonry work. 00:03:32.546 --> 00:03:38.717 - We were able in September of 2025 Looking at our contingency budget to commit to the IT upgrade in the 00:03:38.717 --> 00:03:44.769 - current building So the two buildings could this is an English major saying two buildings could talk 00:03:44.769 --> 00:03:51.000 - to one another because that's how I understand IT and For the kitchen upgrade, but that left four other 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:57.291 - alternates that we were not able to fund in September in April we approached the Convention and Visitors 00:03:57.291 --> 00:03:57.950 - Commission 00:03:58.178 --> 00:04:03.977 - Asked them if they would commit to funding the remaining alternates for the current building at a tune 00:04:03.977 --> 00:04:09.608 - of 1.6 million dollars and the Convention and Visitors Commission voted to do that and in fact that 00:04:09.608 --> 00:04:15.351 - 1.6 million dollars will come from the budget of the CVC so we are able to Fund all of the alternates 00:04:15.351 --> 00:04:21.545 - all six of the alternates for the current Convention Center staying within our budget and with the assistance 00:04:21.545 --> 00:04:23.966 - of the CVC completing those alternates and 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:30.965 - Accepted operating responsibilities for the Convention Center's day-to-day operations in July The new 00:04:30.965 --> 00:04:37.570 - building target completion date is it says January 7th. I happen to know it's January 8th Because January 00:04:37.570 --> 00:04:43.862 - 8th is Elvis's birthday and so I've put a picture of Elvis and the construction office and they know 00:04:43.862 --> 00:04:49.470 - January 8th is the completion date for the Convention Center will then move over into the 00:04:49.570 --> 00:04:56.074 - Targeted completion of the current building and the renovations in the current building which will include 00:04:56.074 --> 00:05:02.213 - those alternates that I identified for you just moments ago We will let me turn this over now to mr. 00:05:02.213 --> 00:05:08.595 - Underwood who will talk with you about the the budget both for the Convention Center And for our project 00:05:08.595 --> 00:05:13.214 - and Talisha Coppix here as well for any questions you have later. Thank you 00:05:17.186 --> 00:05:23.297 - Good evening, Jeff Underwood controller for the capital improvement board. We're here to present two 00:05:23.297 --> 00:05:29.468 - budgets for you this year the last budget for the food and beverage funds that the city set aside for 00:05:29.468 --> 00:05:35.821 - related to the construction of the existing and current facility and then the interlocal agreement calls 00:05:35.821 --> 00:05:42.174 - that Both fiscal bodies the county and the city's fiscal bodies will approve the annual operating budget 00:05:42.530 --> 00:05:50.464 - For the Convention Center going forward. So we're going to present the 2027 operating budget as well 00:05:50.464 --> 00:05:58.319 - as noted for this request These this funding comes out of the food and beverage fund It is included 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:06.174 - with the controllers office as well and a part of the larger appropriation for the full city budget 00:06:06.174 --> 00:06:09.630 - for 2027 we're proposing no personnel costs 00:06:10.050 --> 00:06:19.371 - In category two, supplies, $1,000. In category three, professional services, internal, for legal, controller, 00:06:19.371 --> 00:06:27.929 - and owner's rep, insurance, website, and then other. And if I can figure this out, all right. And in 00:06:27.929 --> 00:06:36.232 - the other category, which is the majority of the expenses, you can see commissionings of $60,000, 00:06:36.232 --> 00:06:39.198 - communications, AV and IT for 400. 00:06:39.330 --> 00:06:46.359 - Security issues a hundred thousand graphics and signage five hundred thousand relocation services 50 00:06:46.359 --> 00:06:53.736 - furniture fixtures and equipment of 400 and then a contingency of just over two point six million dollars 00:06:53.736 --> 00:07:00.835 - for a total of four million four one nine and the total budget request then is five four million five 00:07:00.835 --> 00:07:07.934 - one three six one six and this would be the end of this will be the last food and beverage budget and 00:07:08.194 --> 00:07:15.423 - That we would present to the City Council With that I'll move on to the operations budget and it looks 00:07:15.423 --> 00:07:22.722 - a little different because we will be collecting revenues For the rental space in the Convention Center 00:07:22.722 --> 00:07:30.021 - of estimated to be around three hundred and sixteen thousand Then service revenues and this is catering 00:07:30.021 --> 00:07:34.302 - and 80 IT and IV services of a million five seventy four and 00:07:34.658 --> 00:07:43.872 - and then to close the gap between expenditures and expected revenues in keepers revenue of 1.397 million 00:07:43.872 --> 00:07:52.646 - dollars for total estimated revenues of 3 million 288 on the expense side you can see cost of sales 00:07:52.646 --> 00:08:01.597 - of 1 million 361 and that consists mainly of additional services for catering and AV and IT and those 00:08:01.597 --> 00:08:03.966 - are billed directly to the 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:13.509 - compliance, comprehensive insurance program that covers both the operations and properties of the convention 00:08:13.509 --> 00:08:22.813 - center of 200,000, utilities 377, building maintenance 340, office of 58, membership and service enhancements 00:08:22.813 --> 00:08:27.550 - of 29,000, and professional services contracts 922,000. 00:08:27.778 --> 00:08:34.303 - In this budget, there is no city subsidy, so there is no direct city revenues provided to the convention 00:08:34.303 --> 00:08:40.704 - center. The only additional revenues that come through are through the county and innkeepers tax. That 00:08:40.704 --> 00:08:47.166 - money is appropriated to the Convention and Visitors Commission and then we have an agreement with them 00:08:47.166 --> 00:08:53.443 - to both provide sales support and the funding gap. With that, I will stop talking and we're happy to 00:08:53.443 --> 00:08:55.742 - answer any questions you might have. 00:08:56.738 --> 00:09:05.517 - Thank You mr. Underwood, we'll go to council questions now for the Monroe County Capital Improvement 00:09:05.517 --> 00:09:14.296 - Board Councilmember Piedmont Smith Yes, the professional service contracts in your operating budget, 00:09:14.296 --> 00:09:22.814 - what would that include That's will be our contract with the Convention Center management company 00:09:23.170 --> 00:09:30.245 - That provides the personnel and operates the day-to-day operations. So all the staffing and related 00:09:30.245 --> 00:09:37.674 - cost to providing us that service so delicious delicious works for that company they this is the company 00:09:37.674 --> 00:09:44.962 - that has Managed the Convention Center on behalf of the county from its inception and the CIB is going 00:09:44.962 --> 00:09:51.966 - to continue to employ them to do that as well Separate from visit blooming and Bloomington and DBI 00:09:52.322 --> 00:10:00.641 - Yes, so what's it called? so the innkeepers tax is is Managed by the convention and visitors commission 00:10:00.641 --> 00:10:08.720 - and that's in a county appointed board They contract with visit Bloomington for their part of it and 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:16.799 - then they contract with us to provide funding and sales support For the convention center itself the 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:21.278 - the day-to-day operations are then through the the CCMC 00:10:24.098 --> 00:10:32.911 - CCMC Convention Center management company, so that's what it's called. Yes. Okay, you can see that there's 00:10:32.911 --> 00:10:41.724 - yeah many entities It's taking a while to wrap our heads around all the different groups that are involved 00:10:41.724 --> 00:10:50.126 - but Our relationship the CIBs will basically be with the CVC and with the CCMC Okay my other question 00:10:50.126 --> 00:10:52.926 - is so you expect all Construction 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:59.475 - and Renovation costs to be completed and closed out next year. You say you don't expect to bring us 00:10:59.475 --> 00:11:05.923 - a budget for 20 No, we will not need to bring you a budget next year for food and beverage We expect 00:11:05.923 --> 00:11:12.563 - to be closed out. The actual construction will finish up July 1st It'll take us several months to close 00:11:12.563 --> 00:11:18.947 - out all the final invoices the commissioning the handover I would anticipate that we would be fully 00:11:18.947 --> 00:11:21.118 - done no later than early 2028 but 00:11:21.314 --> 00:11:29.390 - We wouldn't need any additional funds for that. Okay. Thank you Council council member Zulu, you know, 00:11:29.390 --> 00:11:38.014 - I hear that we've been doing very well in sales Moving forward. I was wondering if anyone could speak to that 00:11:47.618 --> 00:11:56.219 - Tell us a copy Convention Center management company and yeah sales have been going great in communication 00:11:56.219 --> 00:12:02.142 - with the different meeting planners We have 70 proposals out 29 sign and 00:12:02.274 --> 00:12:10.893 - Events going through 2032. We're super excited about that Like some examples the asphalt paving association 00:12:10.893 --> 00:12:18.954 - 600 people for three days and that's next year the Indiana Dental Association We have 700 people and 00:12:18.954 --> 00:12:24.062 - that's going to be for three days. They were very excited about 00:12:24.482 --> 00:12:32.030 - Indiana Parks and Recreation, Indiana Community Corrections. I like sharing those names just because 00:12:32.030 --> 00:12:39.801 - they're such different entities. They all have a connection with IU in some way. They want to come back 00:12:39.801 --> 00:12:47.274 - to Bloomington to visit. We've been providing tours to meeting planners and organizations that work 00:12:47.274 --> 00:12:54.448 - with meeting planners. October 12th and 13th, we have two days of tours to show them the space. 00:12:54.448 --> 00:13:02.452 - We've had connections with these folks for years, and it's finally time that we can start offering them 00:13:02.452 --> 00:13:10.226 - something. The building's working out really well for groups of 500 that they can have their general 00:13:10.226 --> 00:13:15.998 - session, move into exhibit space for sales, then move into breakout rooms. 00:13:16.098 --> 00:13:24.406 - a great group we just talked with, a local person is the band director for IU's School of Music and 00:13:24.406 --> 00:13:32.797 - he wants to bring 300 band directors from other colleges here and as they start talking, they've got 00:13:32.797 --> 00:13:41.105 - these three main presentations they need to do but then they bring bands along and the students and 00:13:41.105 --> 00:13:45.342 - then they need to have space and then they'll have 00:13:45.506 --> 00:13:52.943 - different performances at the end from the different students. And so they'll be going back and forth 00:13:52.943 --> 00:14:00.672 - between the convention center during the day and the IU School of Music in the afternoons and then coming 00:14:00.672 --> 00:14:08.110 - back downtown for different breakouts. So we're super excited about that. The downtown visitor center 00:14:08.110 --> 00:14:13.214 - opening at the 4th Street parking garage is going to be a nice way to 00:14:13.762 --> 00:14:21.560 - connect them with the community as well and tell that story. That's supposed to open in December. So 00:14:21.560 --> 00:14:29.435 - I am pleasantly surprised that these planners are as excited as they are and they like the space. And 00:14:29.435 --> 00:14:37.156 - our local groups also, the Food Bank, Suit Bowl for example, they've been at capacity for years and 00:14:37.156 --> 00:14:42.174 - tickets sell out in like two days. And so they are so excited to 00:14:42.658 --> 00:14:51.389 - go into that larger space, and that'll be in February. So I think it's good. I'm really excited, and 00:14:51.389 --> 00:15:00.378 - thank you for all your support through all these different conversations for 20 years of how do we make 00:15:00.378 --> 00:15:08.158 - this happen. So we're working with the different hotels over the next two to three years. 00:15:08.674 --> 00:15:16.266 - so we're doing different packages and incentives so that you know, because we don't have that host hotel 00:15:16.266 --> 00:15:23.496 - yet and That'll even go to a next level whenever we do have that I'm excited about it. So I'm Thank 00:15:23.496 --> 00:15:30.943 - you miss topic. Thank you so much. Congratulations. Okay. Thanks for the question other questions from 00:15:30.943 --> 00:15:32.606 - council I have got one 00:15:33.282 --> 00:15:41.077 - Mr. Underwood perhaps I should ask it of you because you mentioned that there is a contingency under 00:15:41.077 --> 00:15:49.103 - the other services Column you've got a contingency of 2.6 some million dollars What happens for to that 00:15:49.103 --> 00:15:56.126 - if it's unspent it would revert back to the city. It's coming back to us Okay. Okay, great 00:15:57.282 --> 00:16:04.899 - And just one last thing that mr. Weikert mentioned is that I was pleased to hear because we're all concerned 00:16:04.899 --> 00:16:12.166 - about the volatility in markets and costs and things like that, but you've basically You've got already 00:16:12.166 --> 00:16:19.364 - contracts with the various Professional services contractors and so forth that It's you're not subject 00:16:19.364 --> 00:16:26.142 - to any price volatility going forward. No, we have everyone under contract for both the base and 00:16:26.338 --> 00:16:33.586 - Construction and the alternates. Okay, great. Good to hear Okay, if there are no further questions, 00:16:33.586 --> 00:16:40.906 - then we will go to the public Is there any public here that would like to speak on the Monroe County 00:16:40.906 --> 00:16:48.588 - Capital Improvement Board? budget Please state your name and you have three minutes Hi, my name is raised 00:16:48.588 --> 00:16:56.126 - a devil and I just wanted to say I think that giving four and a half million dollars of public funds to 00:16:56.322 --> 00:17:04.930 - An organization that's gonna destroy affordable housing And replace it with for-profit activities is 00:17:04.930 --> 00:17:14.134 - not For the public good. Thanks Thank you for your comments and My other question would be if the operating 00:17:14.134 --> 00:17:22.828 - budget is a net zero after you include non-operating activities would there be a net loss a Net loss. 00:17:22.828 --> 00:17:25.214 - Okay. Thank you for that. I 00:17:25.314 --> 00:17:32.551 - Let's go online to see if there is there anyone in line that would like to To speak user raised hand 00:17:32.551 --> 00:17:39.931 - function. Mr. Allen will attend to you Anyone? Yes to two people. Okay, please state your name and you 00:17:39.931 --> 00:17:47.169 - have three minutes. I Guess I'm up. This is Paul Rousseau In the recently published Bloomington 2026 00:17:47.169 --> 00:17:54.334 - community survey the greatest concern of the respondents was the shortage of affordable housing and 00:17:55.586 --> 00:18:01.620 - The City Council also has made the issue a top priority. Your concern was evident during the debate 00:18:01.620 --> 00:18:07.834 - over permanent affordability for the Hopewell South development. But seven days ago, the Monroe County 00:18:07.834 --> 00:18:13.868 - Capital Improvement Board stated its intent to tear down about 30 units of old apartments that have 00:18:13.868 --> 00:18:19.358 - become relatively affordable, what many would call naturally occurring affordable housing. 00:18:20.706 --> 00:18:27.046 - According to its own bylaws, the specific purpose of the Capital Improvement Board is, and I quote, 00:18:27.046 --> 00:18:33.894 - to select the site for the expansion of the Convention Center expansion components, contract with operation 00:18:33.894 --> 00:18:40.234 - and management organizations, oversee the process for hotelier partner selection, name the expanded 00:18:40.234 --> 00:18:46.574 - center, hire and retain support staff, and determine the need for additional amenities, including a 00:18:46.574 --> 00:18:48.286 - parking garage, end quote. 00:18:49.314 --> 00:18:54.586 - Note that the purpose of the Capital Improvement Board is not to make decisions regarding housing. 00:18:54.586 --> 00:19:00.232 - Nonetheless, the board is preparing to destroy the apartments at Seminary Point even though the hotelier, 00:19:00.232 --> 00:19:05.558 - Dora Hospitality, does not need and will not be purchasing that part of the land that was purchased 00:19:05.558 --> 00:19:10.990 - by the Capital Improvement Board. The board intends to divide the land into a hotel on the north side 00:19:10.990 --> 00:19:14.558 - of the six and a half acres and land for resale on the south side. 00:19:16.098 --> 00:19:22.919 - There's no evidence that the land to be sold off the part on which the apartments currently exist would 00:19:22.919 --> 00:19:29.740 - be directly related to the Convention Center If the capital improvement board has become a rogue agency 00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:36.299 - that exceeds its mandate in a manner in direct opposition to affordable housing Then I question why 00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:42.858 - the City Council would want to continue funding it Thank you Thank You mr. Rousseau We'll come back 00:19:42.858 --> 00:19:45.022 - to chambers if you would like to 00:19:45.410 --> 00:19:51.682 - Speak please state your name first. Thank you Hello, my name is Barry herbers The CIB is a fundamentally 00:19:51.682 --> 00:19:57.775 - corrupt and anti-democratic body this year The CIB was given 29 units of super affordable housing and 00:19:57.775 --> 00:20:04.047 - several affordable commercial spaces in downtown Bloomington essentially for free They have since thrown 00:20:04.047 --> 00:20:10.319 - out every single person living or working in them I have of course talking about the tragedy of seminary 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:13.246 - point here are some CIB highlights from 2026 and 00:20:13.506 --> 00:20:18.181 - Under the CIB's watch, a family recovering from addiction and expecting a second child was forced out 00:20:18.181 --> 00:20:22.855 - of their apartment. Under the CIB's watch, a young man's rent was raised 20% every month until he was 00:20:22.855 --> 00:20:27.805 - forced to leave his home. I doubt any of them even know that happened. Under the CIB's watch, a 70-year-old 00:20:27.805 --> 00:20:32.433 - woman with cancer was forced to leave the home she lived in for 10 years. They messed up businesses, 00:20:32.433 --> 00:20:37.108 - too. Friendly Beast Satire and Blue Tip Billiards were the only social venues within walking distance 00:20:37.108 --> 00:20:41.966 - of my house. The CIB forced them both to close last week. There are now zero social venues within walking 00:20:41.966 --> 00:20:42.974 - distance of my house. 00:20:43.202 --> 00:20:48.571 - Sounds like friendly beasts narrowly managed to scrape together a new location, but Blue Tip is destroyed. 00:20:48.571 --> 00:20:53.588 - The CIB is destroying my neighborhood, and now their president, John Weickart, that guy over there, 00:20:53.588 --> 00:20:58.806 - real bad dude, is parading around calling Seminary Point a public nuisance. These buildings are covered 00:20:58.806 --> 00:21:03.874 - in beautiful murals. I watched one of them get painted, and until last week, this place was a hub of 00:21:03.874 --> 00:21:07.486 - communal activity. The CIB is destroying my neighborhood, and for what? 00:21:08.066 --> 00:21:13.322 - a corporate subsidy so taxpayers can buy Dora Hospitality, a new hotel to service wealthy tourists while 00:21:13.322 --> 00:21:18.478 - they walk around on my neighborhood's corpse. But it's actually even worse than that. They're not even 00:21:18.478 --> 00:21:23.634 - building the taxpayer-subsidized hotel on Subsidary Point. They're building it next to Seminary Point. 00:21:23.634 --> 00:21:28.740 - All of those people's lives were ruined and businesses uprooted because the CIB never wants a wealthy 00:21:28.740 --> 00:21:33.746 - tourist to see a poor person. At this point, any rational person starts thinking, Jesus Christ, who 00:21:33.746 --> 00:21:37.150 - elected these people? And that's the rub. Of course, you know this. 00:21:37.282 --> 00:21:42.824 - The CIB is an unelected body with no public oversight and no accountability of any kind, other than 00:21:42.824 --> 00:21:48.365 - the money local government gives them. Throughout the tragedy of Seminary Point, you, city council, 00:21:48.365 --> 00:21:53.962 - are the only relevant body that has not shown abject corruption. The CIB are the worst of the worst. 00:21:53.962 --> 00:21:59.670 - It is their job to make life harder for poor people so that it can be easier for wealthy tourists. And 00:21:59.670 --> 00:22:04.990 - it is unconscionable to give these villains another cent. You cannot keep letting them do this. 00:22:05.730 --> 00:22:16.257 - Make your term on City Council means something. If you give them one more cent, I will never, ever forgive 00:22:16.257 --> 00:22:25.406 - you. These people are scum. Thank you. OK, thank you. And let's go to the online. Mr. Allen. 00:22:39.586 --> 00:22:48.171 - Hello. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Please state your name. You have three minutes. Excellent. 00:22:48.171 --> 00:22:56.593 - My name is Seiforth Breeze. I wish to mirror many of the comments other folks have made, concerns over 00:22:56.593 --> 00:23:04.934 - the CIB and how it has handled itself on the matter of Seminary Point. I believe that it has acted in 00:23:04.934 --> 00:23:09.022 - ways which are counter to the public interest and 00:23:10.434 --> 00:23:17.666 - I mean really some of the comments before I've covered much of what I want to talk about. One of the 00:23:17.666 --> 00:23:24.898 - points that came up during this public comment or sorry during the Commissioner questions though was 00:23:24.898 --> 00:23:32.274 - about the two million dollars. I was curious if there would be a way to earmark that going forward for 00:23:32.274 --> 00:23:40.222 - affordable housing to provide some sort of like stopgap measure to just prevent those funds from disappearing. 00:23:40.514 --> 00:23:50.103 - when they are so closely tied to the CIB to the entire saga with Seminary Point. I want to also echo 00:23:50.103 --> 00:23:59.787 - previous comments stating that I think the City Council has taken concrete steps through this sort of 00:23:59.787 --> 00:24:09.566 - like, you know, through the Seminary Point saga and that that has been noted and has been appreciated. 00:24:10.050 --> 00:24:17.462 - Many other sort of like individuals who are tied to this have made, you know, sort of statements alluding 00:24:17.462 --> 00:24:24.455 - to the fact that they support affordable housing, that they think that, you know, like there should 00:24:24.455 --> 00:24:31.727 - be a land swap when that was still viable, things of that nature. And those steps that y'all have taken 00:24:31.727 --> 00:24:38.929 - have been noted and it's appreciated. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your comment. Anyone else 00:24:38.929 --> 00:24:39.838 - in chambers? 00:24:40.002 --> 00:24:46.576 - I'd like to please state your name, and you have three minutes. Awesome. My name is Matthew Joseph. 00:24:46.576 --> 00:24:53.347 - I just wanted to use this opportunity to want to obviously talk about the budget a little bit with the 00:24:53.347 --> 00:25:00.250 - Capital Improvement Board, but also just name what's going on here. This is very clearly a classic story 00:25:00.250 --> 00:25:06.823 - of gentrification. I mean, we're talking about a decade and a half of deferred maintenance from the 00:25:06.823 --> 00:25:07.678 - county level 00:25:08.066 --> 00:25:15.154 - I know people that live at Seminary Point that was requesting maintenance for a very long time, it wasn't 00:25:15.154 --> 00:25:21.975 - getting that. In fact, the roof that they love to reference as falling down was requested to be fixed 00:25:21.975 --> 00:25:28.128 - years ago, was not fixed, and then that land is now owned by the Capital Improvement Board, 00:25:28.128 --> 00:25:35.015 - and has now been, no longer is the reason for destroying Seminary Point is for a host hotel. Literally 00:25:35.015 --> 00:25:36.286 - the only case that 00:25:36.450 --> 00:25:42.741 - John Wehrkart and the Capital Improvement Board is making for why they're destroying it is because they 00:25:42.741 --> 00:25:48.851 - think that the buildings are too far gone. Do you see the pattern that we've gotten stuck in, right? 00:25:48.851 --> 00:25:55.143 - We don't listen to the tenants asking for their needs and then we justify the destruction of where they 00:25:55.143 --> 00:26:01.253 - live for the sake of something like a convention center, but in this case it's not even, it's really 00:26:01.253 --> 00:26:06.334 - just to keep the land empty and I'm sure, because the Capital Improvement Board has 00:26:06.594 --> 00:26:14.011 - has only one interest, and that is to build a convention center. So it's in their legal bounds to sell 00:26:14.011 --> 00:26:21.501 - it to the highest bidder, which is likely going to be student housing, and then use that money to build 00:26:21.501 --> 00:26:29.566 - more of the convention center. And that doesn't help any of the locals or encourage any of the locals for us to 00:26:29.730 --> 00:26:35.208 - care more about Bloomington for us to stay, for us to care about the culture that we live in here. I 00:26:35.208 --> 00:26:40.794 - just want us to know that this is the story that's happening. The Capital Improvement Board is telling 00:26:40.794 --> 00:26:46.326 - you another story of gentrification. This is not Harlem, New York. That's what we think about when we 00:26:46.326 --> 00:26:52.076 - think of gentrification. This is literally a perfect example of it. You guys are perpetuating that system 00:26:52.076 --> 00:26:54.462 - continuing. I'm just disappointed in y'all. 00:26:55.714 --> 00:27:01.483 - Because I think that you guys know how politics works. Excuse me. Yes, please address the chair when 00:27:01.483 --> 00:27:07.253 - you when you speak. Okay, forgive me. Yeah And I think just like and then so I just when it comes to 00:27:07.253 --> 00:27:13.079 - the when it comes to the budget I think that's There is is there room here is a question, right? Like 00:27:13.079 --> 00:27:19.134 - is there a world where you take the money out of the budget that they use to demolish affordable housing? 00:27:20.162 --> 00:27:26.526 - I wish I knew all the nits and grits of like what exactly it could look like but like what is the leverage 00:27:26.526 --> 00:27:32.771 - that we can do so this doesn't happen again and then also like just keeping this story if Seminary Point 00:27:32.771 --> 00:27:38.837 - does get destroyed like I don't want this to happen in vain I don't want this to happen again for our 00:27:38.837 --> 00:27:44.904 - community because we want to keep Bloomington have that charm. We don't want to just keep Kicking our 00:27:44.904 --> 00:27:50.078 - own people out. Thank you Thank you for your comment Is there anyone else in chambers? 00:27:50.658 --> 00:28:00.749 - to speak Anyone else online mr. Allen? Okay, we'll come back to council for final comments on Monroe 00:28:00.749 --> 00:28:11.040 - County capital improvement board budget Anyone interested in councilmember Piedmont Smith Two comments 00:28:11.040 --> 00:28:17.534 - first of all, I did ask mr. Underwood for a more detailed like a 00:28:18.626 --> 00:28:28.642 - spreadsheet showing revenues and expenditures and comparing it to 26 so that should be issued as a Dandem 00:28:28.642 --> 00:28:38.846 - Probably next week and then on the other hand I Appreciate the members of the public who have been actively 00:28:38.846 --> 00:28:46.878 - trying to save the super affordable housing a seminary point and I do recognize that 00:28:47.298 --> 00:28:55.209 - We have some leverage here because they're asking us to approve their budget. So I'm going to be reaching 00:28:55.209 --> 00:29:02.746 - out and talking to folks at the CIB and talking to my colleagues and seeing if we can do anything to 00:29:02.746 --> 00:29:10.209 - either preserve the housing or some of the housing that's there or have some funds from the sale of 00:29:10.209 --> 00:29:16.030 - that land or all of the funds, all or some designated for low income housing. 00:29:16.642 --> 00:29:24.724 - So I I will continue to pursue that. Thank you Thank you other comment Councilmember Flaherty Appreciate 00:29:24.724 --> 00:29:32.499 - the comments from members of the public There have been a number of decisions the CIA bees made over 00:29:32.499 --> 00:29:40.504 - the years that I've Really disagreed with and thought were not at all in the public interest. I've also 00:29:40.504 --> 00:29:43.198 - been bothered by the structure and 00:29:43.522 --> 00:29:49.956 - but I believe to be a general lack of accountability of that body. So yeah, that's not new. I think 00:29:49.956 --> 00:29:56.453 - the case of this housing at Seminary Point is just such a shame that this is what has come to the, I 00:29:56.453 --> 00:30:02.951 - think the last speaker, Matthew Joseph maybe was his name, really outlined a part of the story here, 00:30:02.951 --> 00:30:09.449 - which is that it wasn't cared for appropriately by local government for many, many years, ostensibly 00:30:09.449 --> 00:30:13.438 - because it was going to be used for a convention center site. 00:30:13.666 --> 00:30:20.956 - That was always a stretch, because it's so far from the designated site. And it's just sad, because 00:30:20.956 --> 00:30:27.954 - it was so avoidable. Maybe it still is. Maybe there's some other benefits that can be salvaged. 00:30:27.954 --> 00:30:35.316 - But yeah, it really is a shame. I appreciate folks advocating to preserve affordable housing that we 00:30:35.316 --> 00:30:41.950 - have occurring near our downtown, and appreciate your comments tonight. Thanks. Thank you. 00:30:42.626 --> 00:30:50.316 - Councilmember Rosenberg, I also appreciate the public comment today I Think it is a huge shame and just 00:30:50.316 --> 00:30:57.784 - great disappointment where we are. Thanks for the other comments I don't want to say the same things 00:30:57.784 --> 00:31:04.734 - I mean it was either nine of nine of us or eight of nine of us that asked for a land swap and 00:31:06.082 --> 00:31:12.807 - It seems to have not mattered and not been really considered well by the RDC the administration and 00:31:12.807 --> 00:31:19.532 - the CIB I live right there, too So I say I think it is the best place to live and I think it is the 00:31:19.532 --> 00:31:26.593 - most awesome place to have affordable housing You don't need a car. You literally walk across the street 00:31:26.593 --> 00:31:31.166 - to a grocery store I think it it was like a challenge to maybe keep 00:31:31.330 --> 00:31:37.966 - keep it and but like we can do hard things and a lot of times we choose not to or we again choose to 00:31:37.966 --> 00:31:44.800 - just give money to I mean Tourism in a way that I think is not helpful and I was against the convention 00:31:44.800 --> 00:31:51.633 - center from the get and this just makes it even Harder that not only do we have this convention center, 00:31:51.633 --> 00:31:58.730 - but we also have lost so many affordable units I also find it ironic that we did a you know PUD at Hopewell 00:31:58.730 --> 00:31:59.518 - and there's 00:31:59.778 --> 00:32:06.181 - Plaza affordable housing happening there. This is caddy corner to that but for some reason I Don't know. 00:32:06.181 --> 00:32:12.462 - It's not shiny and new maybe that it just wasn't cared about or thought about in the same way But this 00:32:12.462 --> 00:32:18.925 - could even have been an extension of Hopewell that It feels like really wasn't considered I had something 00:32:18.925 --> 00:32:25.267 - else. Oh, I think you know it is hard when you're advocating against some entities that have a lot more 00:32:25.267 --> 00:32:28.926 - access to the media and press releases and all those things 00:32:29.154 --> 00:32:35.358 - These units had hand rental permits so they weren't I mean maybe they needed some long-term maintenance 00:32:35.358 --> 00:32:41.561 - and it was ignored for the decades but they were legally rentable in our city and so like the narrative 00:32:41.561 --> 00:32:47.526 - that like no one should ever be living like this is like this city gave Gave the landlord authority 00:32:47.526 --> 00:32:50.270 - to rent these and I mean, I know there's like 00:32:50.530 --> 00:32:56.108 - dead rats and things that definitely needed to be addressed. But I'm just saying the narrative that 00:32:56.108 --> 00:33:01.687 - they should be torn down because they were so gross. It's like, well, we gave them permits, so they 00:33:01.687 --> 00:33:07.265 - must have been good enough to live in, is what I'm saying. And they were good enough to live in. So 00:33:07.265 --> 00:33:12.899 - I just wanted to put that out there, too. So thank you all for coming. And I think, too, a lot of us 00:33:12.899 --> 00:33:18.366 - are in contact with you all and continue to ask for things and keep us updated whenever you want. 00:33:20.802 --> 00:33:29.440 - Thank you any other comments from council I just want to say thank you for the comments regarding this 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:38.245 - it is tragic and I The last speaker I think really made some very salient points about how the intention 00:33:38.245 --> 00:33:47.218 - of particular bodies that are not malicious but are working in a certain with certain tasks and priorities 00:33:47.218 --> 00:33:49.566 - in mind are motivated to do 00:33:49.730 --> 00:33:58.951 - Something that would be contrary to the interest of the general public in some case and I think that 00:33:58.951 --> 00:34:08.172 - it is ironic that affordable housing exists here while we're trying to build it literally a block or 00:34:08.172 --> 00:34:17.758 - so away So the council recognized comes my Rosenberger said the councils recognize this We made requests 00:34:18.562 --> 00:34:24.749 - They weren't they didn't materialize But I'm looking forward to speaking with my colleagues some more 00:34:24.749 --> 00:34:30.936 - about What we can possibly do and what our priorities are because clearly there are a lot of expenses 00:34:30.936 --> 00:34:37.123 - that we're going to be looking forward to in the future not looking forward to in the in the sense of 00:34:37.123 --> 00:34:43.310 - you know happily anticipating but there are expenses that we will need to make and we have affordable 00:34:43.310 --> 00:34:45.918 - housing as our highest priority we say and 00:34:46.594 --> 00:34:57.716 - So it is something that we need to obviously recognize and work toward in any way we can so Appreciate 00:34:57.716 --> 00:35:09.163 - your comments Thank you to the members of the CIB for your presentation And so now let's go to the office 00:35:09.163 --> 00:35:13.374 - of the city clerk clerk Bolton Welcome 00:35:17.314 --> 00:35:23.629 - Okay, true confession. I'm not great with this So good evening. My name is Nicole Bolden. I'm the Bloomington 00:35:23.629 --> 00:35:29.600 - City clerk Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to our budget presentation. I want to give 00:35:29.600 --> 00:35:35.455 - you all a fair warning I'm going to try and talk fairly quickly Because I wanted to make sure that if 00:35:35.455 --> 00:35:41.311 - you had any questions about the memo that I submitted to you You have time to also ask for that so in 00:35:41.311 --> 00:35:45.502 - our office, we have five full-time staff members including the clerk and 00:35:45.794 --> 00:35:53.105 - Our budget is going to see a roughly 5% change this year. Most of that is in the COLA increases that 00:35:53.105 --> 00:36:00.344 - are in place for all staff members. I did not account for, and my apologies, for any step increases 00:36:00.344 --> 00:36:07.583 - that we may see in seniority for clerk staff. So that might vary or change a bit prior to the final 00:36:07.583 --> 00:36:13.374 - budget being presented. But I want to make sure you actually have that flagged. 00:36:13.858 --> 00:36:21.005 - Other services now includes about $4,000 for insurance premiums that I think has been consistent for 00:36:21.005 --> 00:36:28.081 - other departments where you've seen that and we've kept supplies flat We have over the last several 00:36:28.081 --> 00:36:35.298 - years tried not to do major increases unless it was dictated by increases in supplies And we've tried 00:36:35.298 --> 00:36:41.950 - very hard to do more with the same whenever possible. So we've continued that process in 2026 00:36:42.178 --> 00:36:47.907 - You know the highlights we've talked about them a bit, but we have continued to update our legislative 00:36:47.907 --> 00:36:53.526 - record We've kept the code up current and updated. We've also looked for a new codifier Part of that 00:36:53.526 --> 00:36:59.366 - is so that we can actually get a faster turnaround on our city code and have fewer errors We've improved 00:36:59.366 --> 00:37:04.984 - the boards and commissions recruitment. Thank you very much for adding that position last year We've 00:37:04.984 --> 00:37:07.710 - seen some really amazing things come out of that 00:37:07.810 --> 00:37:15.633 - program, and we've continued with our adjudication of parking citations and citation trends, 00:37:15.633 --> 00:37:24.298 - tracking them. This is the role of the clerk's office. For all of you, I think you're at least vaguely 00:37:24.298 --> 00:37:29.598 - familiar with what the clerk's office does. I joke just a bit. 00:37:29.730 --> 00:37:35.635 - And when we talk about being the cornerstone stone of transparent accountable and accessible local government 00:37:35.635 --> 00:37:41.111 - I do want to emphasize that that is not always just literally being in the physical space But we were 00:37:41.111 --> 00:37:46.532 - talking about making sure that the records are available and apparent to the public making sure that 00:37:46.532 --> 00:37:51.954 - we're responsive and Making sure that when people have questions about what the council did and when 00:37:51.954 --> 00:37:57.054 - they did it whether it was last week or a hundred years ago we can actually get it to them and 00:37:59.458 --> 00:38:07.046 - So these are our priorities and goals. We're going to continue the work for boards and commissions, 00:38:07.046 --> 00:38:14.937 - archives, and records retention. We have a five-year plan for evaluating council records and preserving 00:38:14.937 --> 00:38:22.904 - them. And then our financing and compliance is continuing to analyze and audit our citation appeal data. 00:38:22.904 --> 00:38:23.966 - Key programs. 00:38:24.226 --> 00:38:32.157 - Still more of the same. We're not adopting any new programs We've got all of our existing resources 00:38:32.157 --> 00:38:40.088 - and we're going to continue in that space And this is our budget at a glance. It's largely flat and 00:38:40.088 --> 00:38:48.574 - it's largely non-discretionary so numbers And our conclusion to the questions that I received from council 00:38:48.574 --> 00:38:50.398 - members prior to today 00:38:51.298 --> 00:38:56.135 - The reason you didn't get it until a few hours ago is I had some personal matters to attend to. And 00:38:56.135 --> 00:39:00.971 - while the raw data was available in our office, we collect a lot of data for almost everything that 00:39:00.971 --> 00:39:06.001 - we do. I did need some time to actually give you some context for that data. I didn't want to just send 00:39:06.001 --> 00:39:10.886 - a bunch of numbers and have you look at it and say, great, that doesn't help us. So if you have time 00:39:10.886 --> 00:39:16.158 - to look through the memo that we sent, it gives you a broad overview of the office and all of the positions. 00:39:16.930 --> 00:39:24.419 - It also gives you a breakdown of each individual position in the office including our internship program 00:39:24.419 --> 00:39:31.623 - for a question From one of the council members asked about the office being locked. We have tried to 00:39:31.623 --> 00:39:39.041 - be in alignment with the administration City departments in this building there are over 10 departments 00:39:39.041 --> 00:39:45.246 - Maybe 12 roughly most of them are actually locked throughout the day and have been for 00:39:47.362 --> 00:39:53.861 - Over four years now if I'm correct Including when the council office was co-located with the clerk's 00:39:53.861 --> 00:40:00.553 - office The signage has not changed the door has not changed in terms of it being locked So part of that 00:40:00.553 --> 00:40:07.116 - is being an alignment with the rest of the city part of it is for safety reasons and part of it is to 00:40:07.116 --> 00:40:13.550 - actually make sure that when we have upset or agitated folks who come in which we do have from time 00:40:13.550 --> 00:40:16.510 - to time there's always somebody available and 00:40:16.674 --> 00:40:23.920 - to actually be a witness or intervene if necessary, which is not always possible in a small office with 00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:30.956 - a very limited staff. I think I just ripped through my entire presentation faster than I planned. So 00:40:30.956 --> 00:40:37.993 - I am here for questions and more information. And I also am very lucky and grateful to have my Chief 00:40:37.993 --> 00:40:44.542 - Deputy McDowell with me, Deputy Clerk Colleen Williamson, and Deputy Clerk Jennifer Crossley. 00:40:47.938 --> 00:40:59.206 - Thank you for building Other questions for the clerk and council Councilmember council president. I'm 00:40:59.206 --> 00:41:11.358 - sorry Thank You clerk Bolton, could you tell me the last time that you in the clerk's office did a wedding ah 00:41:11.714 --> 00:41:18.215 - The last time I did a wedding was a few months ago And we actually have been discussing when we're going 00:41:18.215 --> 00:41:24.406 - to get the office open back up again on a regular basis for performing weddings Right now we have a 00:41:24.406 --> 00:41:30.659 - lot of council records that are spread over the space So I don't think most people would be thrilled 00:41:30.659 --> 00:41:37.345 - to actually get married surrounded by boxes of aging records So when we get that under control and actually 00:41:37.345 --> 00:41:39.326 - have an appropriate view on the 00:41:40.898 --> 00:41:48.388 - scope of work, we can actually remove it from the space and start actually using it for performing weddings. 00:41:48.388 --> 00:41:54.366 - Thank you. And asking to lead to my next question, which is if you were to think about 00:41:54.466 --> 00:42:02.129 - currently the load of Of the clerk's office the excellent clerk's office who does wonderful work Thank 00:42:02.129 --> 00:42:09.569 - you for all the work that you do when you think about their workload on a scale of one to ten Where 00:42:09.569 --> 00:42:17.083 - would you where would you say they're sort of utilization rate is right now? Right now I think we're 00:42:17.083 --> 00:42:22.142 - running at about nine point five In terms of utilization we are now 00:42:22.786 --> 00:42:29.508 - At this moment just in the last couple of months fully staffed and not working on additional projects 00:42:29.508 --> 00:42:36.494 - training supporting other staffs or offices that are understaffed or no stuff So right now we're actually 00:42:36.494 --> 00:42:43.678 - fully able to work on all the work in the office without Some of the shortfalls that we've had in years past 00:42:43.874 --> 00:42:51.706 - What would happen if we if we were to underfund the clerk's office by one position, for example What 00:42:51.706 --> 00:42:59.692 - would the impact be on this on residents in Bloomington? what you would see would be a Loss of council 00:42:59.692 --> 00:43:07.446 - records. So in years past there The office has historically been understaffed and or underfunded or 00:43:07.446 --> 00:43:12.254 - underutilized so what we saw was when I came into office were 00:43:13.378 --> 00:43:21.348 - Over 25% of the council meetings that didn't have minutes or memos You would also see the records retention, 00:43:21.348 --> 00:43:26.686 - which right now there are council records that are Not to be too graphic 00:43:26.946 --> 00:43:32.237 - but are covered in mold and feces in some of our storage units. Those are just some of the things that 00:43:32.237 --> 00:43:37.272 - actually need to be handled. And it's not a one and done thing where you can clean it up and say, 00:43:37.272 --> 00:43:42.820 - we're good. I'm still going, I'm sorry. But I do want to underscore also, you'd see a slowdown in services. 00:43:42.820 --> 00:43:48.111 - So those parking ticket appeals that are handled, instead of being handled in three days, which is the 00:43:48.111 --> 00:43:53.300 - median number right now, you would actually see it slow down to two or three weeks at a time. So the 00:43:53.300 --> 00:43:56.382 - public would feel the impact in ways that are not like, ah, 00:43:56.674 --> 00:44:04.176 - Trash can get picked up. But when you need the service It slows down or disappears. Thank you. I have 00:44:04.176 --> 00:44:11.678 - a follow-up, but I'll ask it at my next chance. Okay Okay in the meantime, are there other questions? 00:44:11.678 --> 00:44:19.254 - Councilman Rosemarie. Hi, thanks question about the cola And if it is divided out in some way, I think 00:44:19.254 --> 00:44:26.462 - this is says personnel services 5% And is that I think the city was doing 2.7. Oh, yeah, I didn't 00:44:26.562 --> 00:44:33.675 - Those are numbers that I got from the controller's office, but from the numbers I've seen so far It's 00:44:33.675 --> 00:44:40.719 - going to be just in the base salary. Yes, but there are also differences in oh There are other costs 00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:47.972 - that are associated with salary. So your total compensation per person is not just the base salary It's 00:44:47.972 --> 00:44:55.086 - also additional things and I insurance costs. Thank you Okay. Thank you. Mm-hmm for the questions I'm 00:44:55.086 --> 00:44:56.062 - gonna ask one 00:44:56.642 --> 00:45:05.439 - Go back to you president. Sorry Yeah, I was a thank you first for going through in great detail about 00:45:05.439 --> 00:45:14.753 - your staff duties and Responsibilities is very helpful one thing that I really noticed brought my attention 00:45:14.753 --> 00:45:23.550 - to this was the median parking appeal resolution time has dropped significantly from 15 or 13 days to 00:45:24.098 --> 00:45:32.795 - On average now for the last couple of years. That's pretty astounding That is largely due to now staff 00:45:32.795 --> 00:45:41.407 - having staff. Yes That can take that on As I see right both two deputy clerks one 75% of the time any 00:45:41.407 --> 00:45:50.020 - other 25% It's important to me and I would also mention that It seems to me that we've been much more 00:45:50.020 --> 00:45:53.566 - efficient with boards and commissions and 00:45:54.018 --> 00:46:04.916 - Thanks to chief deputy clerk cross Lee who's done an outstanding job Are we in your mind? Most efficient. 00:46:04.916 --> 00:46:15.608 - I mean are there is there still is there still? Efficiency is it you ask Councilmember sorry would like 00:46:15.608 --> 00:46:21.982 - to know if we if this is optimized right now or we could even 00:46:22.562 --> 00:46:30.158 - there are there ways in which we as counsel maybe could step up and and Provide greater efficiencies 00:46:30.158 --> 00:46:37.679 - for you. For instance. It is a better like I don't see herding cats here on your Documented duties, 00:46:37.679 --> 00:46:44.222 - but that's one of them anyway, if you'd like to speak on that or you want to that is a 00:46:44.386 --> 00:46:50.568 - Loaded question. So I will say no, we're not fully optimized I think we can always do better and we're 00:46:50.568 --> 00:46:57.050 - still exploring ways that we can actually streamline and be more effective in our roles because Ultimately, 00:46:57.050 --> 00:47:03.052 - the goal of the office is to serve the public and to make sure that 50 years from now We're usually 00:47:03.052 --> 00:47:09.234 - looking at things through a 50 year lens. Like what's gonna happen in 50 years? How will this actually 00:47:09.234 --> 00:47:10.014 - play out? so 00:47:10.178 --> 00:47:17.574 - The goal is to make sure that we're getting better throughout time and that it's replicable and that 00:47:17.574 --> 00:47:24.896 - it's repeatable. So a lot of it is we can do so much better, but I don't know how much further that 00:47:24.896 --> 00:47:32.438 - will be. So to that, and then as far as the council being more helpful in making the job easier to do, 00:47:32.438 --> 00:47:39.614 - it will be always the things that I always ask of you all, which is, you know, respond to emails, 00:47:40.546 --> 00:47:48.050 - Answer phone calls bring cookies the usual Yeah It seems like one measure would be boards commission 00:47:48.050 --> 00:47:56.224 - sometimes because they were lacking a Complete commission didn't reach quorum and now it's just my assumption 00:47:56.224 --> 00:48:04.174 - I don't know but they seem to be I mean just anecdotally they seem to be able to reach quorum or I haven't 00:48:04.174 --> 00:48:09.598 - heard many problems now we didn't we're not in control of attendance and 00:48:09.826 --> 00:48:17.505 - We are in control over and there are appointments. There are ongoing issues with attendance and Membership, 00:48:17.505 --> 00:48:24.615 - but if you have deeper questions about that, I'm sure Jennifer would be happy to answer them Great. 00:48:24.615 --> 00:48:31.938 - Thank you. Would you like to? Councilmember Stuspert, I Just want to officially yield my three minutes 00:48:31.938 --> 00:48:36.062 - of question time to councilmember. Sorry if he wants to I 00:48:40.354 --> 00:48:48.871 - My follow-up question was just about so then thinking sort of following up on what Councilman Rallo 00:48:48.871 --> 00:48:57.643 - just asked when you look at the rest of the city And particularly council but but any other operations 00:48:57.643 --> 00:49:06.245 - within the city Do you see duplication with things that the clerk should be doing could be doing and 00:49:06.245 --> 00:49:10.078 - is doing? Over Yes Could you please specify? 00:49:11.394 --> 00:49:18.724 - I'd prefer not to Well, okay Let me let me rephrase I mean it's not it's not totally I think there are 00:49:18.724 --> 00:49:26.124 - duplications and layers but to be clear the clerk is a separately elected office so there may be duties 00:49:26.124 --> 00:49:33.240 - that are being handled through the administration but appropriately they are supervised through the 00:49:33.240 --> 00:49:36.158 - administration and they are speaking for 00:49:36.386 --> 00:49:42.322 - Other departments as opposed to the clerk's office while speaking for the city is not speaking in the 00:49:42.322 --> 00:49:48.259 - same way Similarly, there are duties that in the past council staff have done that have traditionally 00:49:48.259 --> 00:49:50.878 - belonged in the clerk's office It is not now 00:49:51.138 --> 00:49:57.565 - It's a duplication of effort and or time, but that is the choice that you have as a body have made and 00:49:57.565 --> 00:50:03.804 - that is absolutely your right to do so. I do think moving forward, you have had this opportunity to 00:50:03.804 --> 00:50:10.168 - look at your staffing and how your office is organized. It is entirely up to you as to how you follow 00:50:10.168 --> 00:50:16.595 - through and what you continue to do over the next few years, but I do think that you have gone, you've 00:50:16.595 --> 00:50:18.654 - had nine staff members get hired 00:50:19.010 --> 00:50:25.299 - and leave the city over the last six years. So it might be worth looking at what you're doing and deciding 00:50:25.299 --> 00:50:30.942 - if there are duties that can be spread out or moved into other places. And that's why I didn't. 00:50:31.042 --> 00:50:35.796 - really want to answer that, because I didn't want to. That's exactly what I was trying to get at, 00:50:35.796 --> 00:50:40.793 - which is, I mean, obviously, in this second, we're going to talk about council budget. I mean, I think 00:50:40.793 --> 00:50:45.644 - that that's a relevant question. That's where I started with trying to understand how much workload 00:50:45.644 --> 00:50:50.592 - you feel like we're having. But I think there's another side of this, which is I've been talking with 00:50:50.592 --> 00:50:55.589 - department heads with different, I basically asked the same question across the budget, which is, what 00:50:55.589 --> 00:51:00.440 - happens if this position doesn't exist, if we don't backfill this position, or if we just eliminate 00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:01.022 - a position? 00:51:01.026 --> 00:51:06.472 - And what's interesting is, in a lot of cases, one of the answers that comes up is, well, then who's 00:51:06.472 --> 00:51:11.973 - going to deal with Commission X? It's kind of like a fascinating answer that comes up a lot in a lot 00:51:11.973 --> 00:51:14.750 - of different spaces. And so it seems to me that we 00:51:14.818 --> 00:51:20.157 - do a sort of disproportionate amount of work with commissions and boards. But then we've created this 00:51:20.157 --> 00:51:25.497 - new position. So I'm just sort of interested if that can be better leveraged, if that can be changed. 00:51:25.497 --> 00:51:30.731 - And then if we were to lean more on those things, like what that would mean for the staffing in the 00:51:30.731 --> 00:51:36.018 - clerk's office, budget, et cetera. So not enough time to answer that question now. But so it sort of 00:51:36.018 --> 00:51:41.357 - ended up being a quamant more than a question. But I'll send that to you in writing as well to follow 00:51:41.357 --> 00:51:43.870 - up. OK. If I may, I know there was time seated. 00:51:47.810 --> 00:51:54.203 - Absolutely can There was a study that was done that said they needed to have one person take ownership 00:51:54.203 --> 00:52:00.472 - of the boards and commissions to take the broad overview and look at appointments communicating with 00:52:00.472 --> 00:52:07.113 - the public Applications all of those things and so the council looked at that study looked at the position 00:52:07.113 --> 00:52:13.506 - what was needed what the public was saying they wanted and they actually created that position and put 00:52:13.506 --> 00:52:16.734 - in the clerk's office which was recommended I think 00:52:18.242 --> 00:52:24.632 - Personally did not grasp the breadth and depth of the issues related to boards and commissions despite 00:52:24.632 --> 00:52:30.899 - having been next door to it or part of it for years and now watching and listening to what ownership 00:52:30.899 --> 00:52:37.165 - really looks like in terms of developing training for staff members for the commissioners themselves 00:52:37.165 --> 00:52:43.431 - working with legal department the mayor's office Communications everything that's involved in boards 00:52:43.431 --> 00:52:47.774 - and commissions. It is an enormous job and I appreciate the fact that 00:52:48.322 --> 00:52:54.757 - The person who's doing the work actually has a background in communications and marketing the person 00:52:54.757 --> 00:53:01.320 - who's actually doing it is already deeply deeply nerdy and Involved in municipal government at a level 00:53:01.320 --> 00:53:07.946 - that most people are not so yes There are other people who are doing it, but this is her whole position 00:53:07.946 --> 00:53:14.317 - so for other departments when they have staff liaisons or people who are doing it that is not their 00:53:14.317 --> 00:53:17.694 - only purpose it is a portion of their larger job and 00:53:17.826 --> 00:53:27.357 - Whereas for this department that is the job Does that help Good. Thank you very much If there are no 00:53:27.357 --> 00:53:36.983 - further questions, we'll go to the public on the office of the city clerk budget if there's anyone in 00:53:36.983 --> 00:53:47.646 - council chambers Anyone in line mr. Allen, okay, we're back to council for Any other questions or final comment? 00:53:52.194 --> 00:54:00.936 - Seeing any I just like to say thank you and your staff for your service to the public and your invaluable 00:54:00.936 --> 00:54:09.514 - help to the council We really appreciate it Okay, let's go now to That was a good segue that discussion 00:54:09.514 --> 00:54:14.462 - for the office of the common council Council attorney Allen 00:54:26.178 --> 00:54:33.401 - Allen interim attorney to the extent that the clerk suggested that I'm redundant. I'm happy to accept 00:54:33.401 --> 00:54:40.554 - that So and I just really appreciate her taking that on Additionally, I would also like to thank all 00:54:40.554 --> 00:54:47.777 - my full-time staff for joining us tonight It's been wonderful In all seriousness the council's office 00:54:47.777 --> 00:54:53.726 - says you all are aware well aware, but maybe the public isn't as aware has a fairly 00:54:53.986 --> 00:55:00.297 - broad sense of duty and I do want to take a minute to At the start of this just to shout out some of 00:55:00.297 --> 00:55:06.857 - the excellent customer service that's been done over the years by council staff I think that the primary 00:55:06.857 --> 00:55:13.105 - visibility that council staff has is Informing and making this accessible for the public and to the 00:55:13.105 --> 00:55:19.478 - extent that the prior staff Set up systems and has been trying to incrementally improve that over the 00:55:19.478 --> 00:55:23.102 - years I really applaud them because at the end of the day 00:55:23.202 --> 00:55:29.554 - All we are is to make one, the council be able to do their jobs as effectively as possible, but also 00:55:29.554 --> 00:55:36.095 - make sure that public meetings, the information that's flowing through the council office is accessible 00:55:36.095 --> 00:55:42.384 - as possible. Just a little bit about the office generally. It's budgeted for three full-time staff, 00:55:42.384 --> 00:55:48.862 - two attorneys, one legal assistant slash researcher. The attorneys are also your chief administrators. 00:55:48.994 --> 00:55:54.518 - The changes in the budget for those three positions, which currently are vacant. I am interim. I'm serving 00:55:54.518 --> 00:55:55.550 - on a contract role. 00:55:55.618 --> 00:56:01.597 - basis at this point, so a lot of hiring to be done. The budget change then for 2026 appropriately is 00:56:01.597 --> 00:56:07.635 - mostly salaries. So not only cost of living increase, but understanding that these are open positions 00:56:07.635 --> 00:56:14.029 - and to bring it in line with the potential ranges. So if you get experienced candidates, you could actually 00:56:14.029 --> 00:56:20.126 - offer them the full range of salaries. I don't expect that you will actually end up spending that full 00:56:20.126 --> 00:56:21.310 - amount necessarily. 00:56:21.378 --> 00:56:27.220 - but it needs to have some flexibility to allow the council to hire appropriately for the next year. 00:56:27.220 --> 00:56:33.120 - As I mentioned, the key budget needs for 2027, hiring and retaining personnel, continuing to enhance 00:56:33.120 --> 00:56:38.961 - public accessibility and dialogue, which I'll talk about just a little bit, and then continuing the 00:56:38.961 --> 00:56:45.036 - great work you all already do with community grants that improve quality of life, and also getting that 00:56:45.036 --> 00:56:50.878 - message out and exactly what those do, I think, would be a great enhancement to the council office. 00:56:54.466 --> 00:57:00.936 - In terms of 2026 highlights, one, also in great seriousness, thank you to the clerk staff and the city 00:57:00.936 --> 00:57:07.406 - staff for helping aid us during this time of transition. It's been no doubt a challenging year for the 00:57:07.406 --> 00:57:13.814 - council office. However, people have stepped up, have aided us, and have been very understanding. And 00:57:13.814 --> 00:57:20.158 - that's obviously when the city works best is when we're all working as a team in the same direction. 00:57:20.322 --> 00:57:27.060 - The council itself has issued $500,000 in Jack Hopkins social service grants which end up being in large 00:57:27.060 --> 00:57:33.925 - part some of the lifeblood that goes into our great nonprofits providing services throughout the community 00:57:33.925 --> 00:57:40.535 - Additionally, although these were allocated last year the $500,000 for the pedestrian safety committee 00:57:40.535 --> 00:57:47.208 - committee on improving Access alternative transportation methods and safety in that regard also a great 00:57:47.208 --> 00:57:50.288 - community service that committee is set to meet 00:57:50.288 --> 00:57:56.646 - at the end of this year, another $500,000 is proposed in this budget for those grants as well. And then 00:57:56.646 --> 00:58:02.821 - also this year, you know, just the council, this is more your highlight that I'm stealing from mine, 00:58:02.821 --> 00:58:09.058 - so thank you. The utilizing of deliberation sessions to foster not just understanding but information 00:58:09.058 --> 00:58:15.233 - sharing between the entire city, so with council. And I think we could go further in that regard and 00:58:15.233 --> 00:58:19.390 - particularly with future business, but it's something that has been 00:58:20.098 --> 00:58:27.199 - It's good to see that come back and see the council working together in that dialogue. And to that end, 00:58:27.199 --> 00:58:34.641 - enhancing the public access and dialogue is important to continue for 2027. So one of the things, obviously, 00:58:34.641 --> 00:58:41.879 - there's the public documents accessibility piece, which has been widely publicized and understood, trying 00:58:41.879 --> 00:58:45.566 - to make those documents conform with current ADA law. 00:58:46.114 --> 00:58:51.582 - And to bring them up, although that's been delayed by a year It's still an important thing and the clerk's 00:58:51.582 --> 00:58:56.795 - office has made great strides in helping with that and making that a much easier transition And so to 00:58:56.795 --> 00:59:01.905 - the extent that council staff can further that and further that with your packets and information I 00:59:01.905 --> 00:59:07.118 - think that that's a great thing to do. I think also rethinking and taking time to be really strategic 00:59:07.118 --> 00:59:08.702 - about how meetings operate and 00:59:08.834 --> 00:59:14.732 - and whether people are getting the most out of them. Are we bringing everybody to the table? Are we 00:59:14.732 --> 00:59:20.631 - making it as easy as possible for people to be here, to comment, to participate in the process? And 00:59:20.631 --> 00:59:26.824 - the wonderful thing about having kind of a, I don't wanna say reset, but a new opportunity in the office 00:59:26.824 --> 00:59:29.950 - is to take a very deliberative look at those issues. 00:59:30.754 --> 00:59:36.271 - And and I think continuing to enhance the opportunities for dialogue and collaboration So those could 00:59:36.271 --> 00:59:41.680 - look like on top of the current deliberation sessions that are happening certain consensus building 00:59:41.680 --> 00:59:47.252 - activities Having public meetings having public information sessions and utilizing even the space that 00:59:47.252 --> 00:59:52.985 - council has now So council's office has obviously moved out of the clerk's office It's on it said showers 00:59:52.985 --> 00:59:58.340 - west on the other side of the building It does have the capability to host certain public meetings 00:59:58.340 --> 01:00:00.720 - potentially have the public there have time 01:00:00.720 --> 01:00:06.852 - that they can engage with certain members of council as long as you're not violating open door law. 01:00:06.852 --> 01:00:12.984 - And then, I mean, this seems like more of a high-minded bullet point to improve the quality of life 01:00:12.984 --> 01:00:18.931 - for residents, but I think at base, that's exactly what our grants do and the council grants do. 01:00:18.931 --> 01:00:25.247 - And so, to the extent that, again, the council staff in the past has done a great job of administering 01:00:25.247 --> 01:00:29.662 - these grants to the extent possible and with the support of city staff, 01:00:29.762 --> 01:00:36.083 - And continuing to support those policies, but also looking at reviewing Everything that comes before 01:00:36.083 --> 01:00:42.404 - council with an eye toward the comprehensive sustainability practices that that the city has adopted 01:00:42.404 --> 01:00:49.038 - So whether that be the comprehensive plan the sustainability plan etc being a little bit more intentional 01:00:49.038 --> 01:00:55.484 - about utilizing those in decision-making and how Legislation is getting put forward in addition to the 01:00:55.484 --> 01:00:59.614 - grants in addition to being a service to public service providers 01:01:05.442 --> 01:01:10.841 - And I think, again, taking this time, basically, I'm just gonna summarize these three bullet points 01:01:10.841 --> 01:01:16.293 - in the following, which is taking this time to make sure that this office is working exactly how you 01:01:16.293 --> 01:01:21.908 - want it to be and making sure it's working appropriately for the public. There are plenty of strategies 01:01:21.908 --> 01:01:28.062 - that we could do. I think one of the things is just making, this is my own thing, so please just understand this. 01:01:28.162 --> 01:01:33.187 - Making the language itself accessible to the public what we're talking about whether we're talking about 01:01:33.187 --> 01:01:38.260 - a tiff bond whether we're talking about Traditional appropriation ordinances or anything like that trying 01:01:38.260 --> 01:01:43.046 - to make that that language in the presentation as accessible as possible to the public so that they 01:01:43.046 --> 01:01:45.822 - understand exactly what's happening who's on the hook and 01:01:45.986 --> 01:01:51.382 - How much it's gonna cost them things like that. That's kind of what we're talking about here And then 01:01:51.382 --> 01:01:56.725 - I think also honestly just celebrating what council does as individuals but also collectively and so 01:01:56.725 --> 01:02:02.385 - having a better external communication strategy to work with the administration or Individually to promote 01:02:02.385 --> 01:02:07.728 - those things and then also internal communication So making sure the flow of information between the 01:02:07.728 --> 01:02:13.758 - council and the administrative staff are working very well So everybody in city staff understands what's going on 01:02:17.506 --> 01:02:27.926 - Happy to take questions, of course Are there questions for us? Other questions for mr. Allen I'll go 01:02:27.926 --> 01:02:38.242 - ahead and ask a question It was the memo and these goals was that mostly written by you or was that 01:02:38.242 --> 01:02:43.710 - in collaboration with a subset of council members or 01:02:44.866 --> 01:02:52.743 - Yeah, it was taking a lot. It was mostly by me It was taking the priorities from previous years and 01:02:52.743 --> 01:03:00.699 - kind of enhancing them in terms of what the goals were So so that was where the memo came from Okay, 01:03:00.699 --> 01:03:08.655 - I don't necessarily object to any of them. I was just curious. Thanks other questions Okay, see none 01:03:08.655 --> 01:03:12.830 - then we'll go to the public Mr. Allen do you want to 01:03:13.314 --> 01:03:24.328 - See if anyone's online to ask you a question or to make a comment Anyone in chambers No one in public 01:03:24.328 --> 01:03:35.558 - Anyone public? Okay, so we're back to the council for comments on our budget of the common council Yes, 01:03:35.558 --> 01:03:38.366 - come council members like 01:03:38.594 --> 01:03:46.264 - Thank you, I just want to say I am very very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with attorney 01:03:46.264 --> 01:03:53.861 - Allen and learn from him and I Don't know how many times I'm gonna get the opportunity to say that but 01:03:53.861 --> 01:04:01.310 - I am definitely going to say this on this budget He presented so thank you Councilmember Stossberg I 01:04:02.658 --> 01:04:11.591 - I think that this was maybe the clearest presentation of the challenges that council office has had 01:04:11.591 --> 01:04:20.525 - over the last six, seven months. And I also want to send a huge thank you to attorney Allen because 01:04:20.525 --> 01:04:29.547 - without him, I don't know how things would have stayed together because he has done a phenomenal job 01:04:29.547 --> 01:04:31.870 - serving so many different 01:04:31.970 --> 01:04:41.632 - roles that are very clearly needed from meeting facilitation to legal advice and services to assistance 01:04:41.632 --> 01:04:51.200 - with legislation and all of those pieces and This job that we're doing up here like sometimes it might 01:04:51.200 --> 01:05:00.862 - not look like a lot but it's a lot and one of the ways that it can be managed successfully is to have a 01:05:01.186 --> 01:05:08.883 - an attorney who helps us figure out the law and the legal aspects of what it is that we're doing what 01:05:08.883 --> 01:05:16.655 - it is that we're being asked and what are the consequences to that in terms of legal ramifications and 01:05:16.655 --> 01:05:24.277 - all of those pieces and I just I can't like Overstate that enough. I guess how much I appreciate Him 01:05:24.277 --> 01:05:30.238 - having helped us with that this year and how challenging it is as a council to 01:05:30.722 --> 01:05:41.089 - You know make sure that we have all of our eyes dotted and all of our t's crossed When we have one person 01:05:41.089 --> 01:05:51.162 - who's helping us do that as opposed to three? So he's just done a phenomenal job. Thanks Thank you any 01:05:51.162 --> 01:06:00.062 - any other customer and Piva Smith Yes, I also want to express my gratitude to mr. Allen We 01:06:01.122 --> 01:06:09.651 - You know a very difficult we're in a difficult period for the council. We have no staff Mr. Allen, of 01:06:09.651 --> 01:06:18.013 - course is a contract attorney Administrator and we very much appreciate the work that he's done and 01:06:18.013 --> 01:06:26.375 - we're very lucky that somebody with his expertise was available but I do think that you know to put 01:06:26.375 --> 01:06:30.974 - a Positive spin on this the fact that we have no staff 01:06:31.106 --> 01:06:40.583 - is an opportunity for us to rethink the office and to rethink, to think about, okay, why is it we found 01:06:40.583 --> 01:06:50.607 - ourselves in a position of having no staff? And how can we organize the work in a way that is more beneficial 01:06:50.607 --> 01:06:59.902 - for the public, for council members, and for the staff members themselves to have a balance in their, 01:07:00.130 --> 01:07:08.240 - their work and their life and to have clearer expectations and reporting lines and that job satisfaction 01:07:08.240 --> 01:07:16.350 - that I think may have been lacking in the past. So, I'm choosing to see it as an opportunity and I think 01:07:16.350 --> 01:07:24.538 - we, for the rest of the year, we hopefully will hire somebody in the top position and have an opportunity 01:07:24.538 --> 01:07:29.790 - to rethink the other positions to get back on solid ground in 2016. 01:07:30.626 --> 01:07:41.697 - I mean 27 Other comments I would also like to I guess third or fourth our gratitude to mr. Allen for 01:07:41.697 --> 01:07:53.316 - your your work and I'd also like to extend thanks to our council president is sorry for your work without 01:07:53.316 --> 01:08:00.222 - of well any staff for a while, but without full staff for your 01:08:00.418 --> 01:08:10.234 - tenure as president of the council and I I did want to make I think a rather modest request since Mayor 01:08:10.234 --> 01:08:20.143 - Thompson is here Regarding council budget and that is and my colleagues as well that I was very grateful 01:08:20.143 --> 01:08:26.750 - that Mayor Thompson increased the Jack Hopkins budget to $500,000 and 01:08:27.234 --> 01:08:35.759 - I know we have a lot of priorities in the city and we have a lot of difficulty in terms of Our challenges 01:08:35.759 --> 01:08:43.962 - related to revenues and so forth but I think that it would be Prudent to at least keep parity or keep 01:08:43.962 --> 01:08:52.246 - up with inflation every year With the Jack Hopkins budget because I think that it tends to fall behind 01:08:52.246 --> 01:08:56.830 - after a few years and that could be that's consequential 01:08:57.474 --> 01:09:06.377 - even increasing 3% $15,000 would be equivalent to funding one organization generally If inflation is 01:09:06.377 --> 01:09:15.545 - 5% next year, that's 25,000. That's that's a significant amount of money for for one needy organization 01:09:15.545 --> 01:09:24.625 - and having served on the committee on the committee it's challenging so if we could at least keep pace 01:09:24.625 --> 01:09:27.358 - Although the needs are greater 01:09:27.906 --> 01:09:38.081 - Then half a million certainly under the circumstances At least if we could keep pace, I think that would 01:09:38.081 --> 01:09:47.964 - be a good effort so With that let's go now to the office of the mayor and Deputy mayor Gretchen Knapp 01:09:47.964 --> 01:09:55.038 - welcome Happy budget has council members who look like party continues I 01:09:55.490 --> 01:10:01.601 - Gretchen F deputy mayor very happy to be presenting the budget for 2027 the proposal for the office 01:10:01.601 --> 01:10:07.956 - of the mayor a Little bit about us here. We are some of us along with our most popular staffer Probably 01:10:07.956 --> 01:10:14.311 - the most popular staffer in all the city hall deputy dog We currently have eight full-time staff. There 01:10:14.311 --> 01:10:20.422 - is one open position, which is nine positions total Probably could have worded that a little better 01:10:20.422 --> 01:10:24.638 - and just for comparison when we took office the I looked at the 2023 01:10:24.770 --> 01:10:30.138 - office of the mayor, office structure. They also had nine positions, but it was structured a little 01:10:30.138 --> 01:10:35.506 - differently. There was one part-time position, and one of the positions was there was an additional 01:10:35.506 --> 01:10:40.873 - cabinet-level position, which we eliminated. So we had a lot of questions about our staffing levels 01:10:40.873 --> 01:10:46.241 - in advance, and I'll talk more about that later. Our budget change from this year's budget is about 01:10:46.241 --> 01:10:52.414 - a 6% increase, and I'll go into those details as well, but it's down to just a few things that are impacting that. 01:10:54.530 --> 01:10:59.832 - So the office of the mayor is involved in a very broad range of activities, both within City 01:10:59.832 --> 01:11:05.532 - Hall, externally, very often as a bridge between City Hall and external stakeholders, constituents. 01:11:05.532 --> 01:11:11.290 - I've just highlighted a few highlights from the past year, and I'm more than happy to go into detail 01:11:11.290 --> 01:11:17.047 - on any of these during the Q&A, but when I timed myself going into detail of all of them, it was too 01:11:17.047 --> 01:11:22.976 - long. So I'll just pull a couple out that you may know may be less apparent or that relate to questions 01:11:22.976 --> 01:11:23.774 - you've asked. 01:11:24.418 --> 01:11:31.352 - One is, I think you're aware, obviously with the mayor's background and her deep involvement with housing 01:11:31.352 --> 01:11:38.024 - and working on Hopewell South, asking for the development process review to help us figure, solve the 01:11:38.024 --> 01:11:44.630 - question that was the subject of a cabinet leadership retreat, which was what is standing in the way 01:11:44.630 --> 01:11:50.910 - of making Bloomington a housing production machine? What are the obstacles? And that audit will 01:11:51.074 --> 01:11:56.433 - Has showing us lots of ways that we can make our process better and you'll get a presentation from that 01:11:56.433 --> 01:12:01.947 - and from planning in the future They are also looking at the firm that did that analysis is also analyzing 01:12:01.947 --> 01:12:07.357 - Conflicts in the udio. So there are places in the udio where we say we want this and another place where 01:12:07.357 --> 01:12:12.510 - we say But we also want that and those two things cannot be done at the same time. So they're gonna 01:12:12.510 --> 01:12:13.438 - help us with that 01:12:14.370 --> 01:12:21.289 - Homelessness response the addition of the city homelessness response coordinator has been a huge benefit 01:12:21.289 --> 01:12:28.010 - to the entire city organization Every single department works on homelessness deals with homelessness 01:12:28.010 --> 01:12:34.600 - either root causes or impacts every week if not every day and This is the only position in the city 01:12:34.600 --> 01:12:41.189 - that does nothing but work on homelessness and it is largely a coordination position this person is 01:12:41.189 --> 01:12:43.166 - not a frontline responder and 01:12:44.162 --> 01:12:50.191 - But what they ensure is that city staff and the service providers who are out there doing the groundwork 01:12:50.191 --> 01:12:55.990 - that we are aligned in our efforts strategically at the very top and in our daily activities that we 01:12:55.990 --> 01:13:02.249 - are rowing in the same direction and Addressing issues immediately before they grow and become unmanageable. 01:13:02.249 --> 01:13:03.742 - So when we came in we had 01:13:03.874 --> 01:13:10.040 - 12 encampments on city property and some very significant private property encampments. We don't have 01:13:10.040 --> 01:13:16.085 - any of those now that are major, and that is because we are staying on top of them and able to work 01:13:16.085 --> 01:13:22.251 - with service providers when we hear, hey, a parks person was out and saw a couple tents in this area. 01:13:22.251 --> 01:13:28.538 - So then Brian can contact the service providers and say, can someone go out and see if those folks need 01:13:28.538 --> 01:13:30.654 - services and how can we help them? 01:13:30.850 --> 01:13:37.810 - and prevent that from becoming a dangerous situation. So, what does coordination look like? Some of 01:13:37.810 --> 01:13:44.839 - these are taken from things that we've learned from other cities that we've asked or visited to say, 01:13:44.839 --> 01:13:52.285 - what are you doing that's working so well and how can we copy it? A 10 to 15 minute daily check-in between 01:13:52.285 --> 01:13:53.886 - city staff, that means 01:13:54.178 --> 01:14:00.229 - DROs downtown cleanup crews mih Rep from heading home attends that as well and that is anything that 01:14:00.229 --> 01:14:06.219 - popped up overnight or the previous day What do we need to know to be prepared to address it today? 01:14:06.219 --> 01:14:12.390 - Which is very helpful at times like these when the county has cleared a major encampment There is also 01:14:12.390 --> 01:14:17.182 - a weekly check-in that began with just city staff and then eventually nonprofit 01:14:17.378 --> 01:14:22.643 - Providers and service providers join that meeting and now that time is largely being used for streets 01:14:22.643 --> 01:14:28.010 - disability discussions There's a monthly meeting with cabinet level and key personnel to make sure that 01:14:28.010 --> 01:14:33.481 - our top-level strategic actions are aligned with what's happening out in the field and and on the streets 01:14:33.481 --> 01:14:37.662 - every day and there's much more that goes on with that, but that has been a huge 01:14:37.794 --> 01:14:43.556 - Asset to to everyone in the city to have one-stop shopping if you hear something about homelessness 01:14:43.556 --> 01:14:49.548 - If you have a need if you have a question if you need a contact of a resident or a business calls There 01:14:49.548 --> 01:14:55.310 - is one person that they know that we can send them to who will take action on that We also do a lot 01:14:55.310 --> 01:15:01.130 - of work with capital projects planning the controller will speak later about the efforts to create a 01:15:01.130 --> 01:15:03.262 - capital plan very excited about that 01:15:03.618 --> 01:15:09.099 - I want to talk a little bit about the 911 analysis that is happening with the law enforcement action 01:15:09.099 --> 01:15:14.744 - partnership or leap So this was negotiated in 2024 Thank You councilmember Piedmont Smith who advocated 01:15:14.744 --> 01:15:20.171 - for that and put into the 2025 budget and we sometimes hear Why did you wait so long to do it? So I 01:15:20.171 --> 01:15:25.598 - wanted to give a little background I think many of you know that dispatch has really struggled with 01:15:25.666 --> 01:15:31.864 - with retention, and I have to give a huge shout out to dispatch staff who really laid the roadmap for 01:15:31.864 --> 01:15:38.001 - us in 2024 about what we need to do to make it a better place that can retain workers and keep them. 01:15:38.001 --> 01:15:44.381 - So they got a whole new work schedule in July of 2025, a new leadership structure, new leaders in place, 01:15:44.381 --> 01:15:50.762 - interim leaders starting in October 25, and was made permanent in January of this year. And so we really 01:15:50.762 --> 01:15:53.982 - wanted to wait to start this project before we asked 01:15:54.338 --> 01:16:01.412 - dispatched to do more to stabilize that department. And then we had to wait for our partners at LEAP 01:16:01.412 --> 01:16:08.696 - to be available to actually start the work. So they just became available earlier this summer, and they 01:16:08.696 --> 01:16:16.190 - have the data, and soon we will be learning more about how we can integrate alternative response into 911. 01:16:16.770 --> 01:16:22.996 - We also have community survey, branding website, union negotiations, lots of other topics that I can 01:16:22.996 --> 01:16:29.283 - tell you more about as you are interested in hearing about them. Priorities and goals remain focusing 01:16:29.283 --> 01:16:35.756 - on increasing housing, reducing homelessness and addressing the impacts, supporting our asset protection 01:16:35.756 --> 01:16:39.454 - that we're all interested in and critical capital projects. 01:16:39.554 --> 01:16:47.123 - Improving city communications through a new website and other methods modernizing city operational systems 01:16:47.123 --> 01:16:54.267 - which you'll hear more about from the controller and from HR in particular the need for an HR is and 01:16:54.267 --> 01:17:01.694 - HR information system and a better accounting program that can talk to each other would be great I can't 01:17:01.694 --> 01:17:07.070 - stress enough the amount of the lack of talking to each other between those 01:17:07.650 --> 01:17:14.670 - to right now, there is no HR information system. So for example, when we're in union negotiations and 01:17:14.670 --> 01:17:21.689 - someone says, what if we increase certifications by X percentage, we have no way of calculating that. 01:17:21.689 --> 01:17:28.571 - It has to be done manually, and it is incredibly time consuming and hard to figure out, to forecast 01:17:28.571 --> 01:17:33.182 - and predict, much less to just do payroll. Payroll is a nightmare. 01:17:33.474 --> 01:17:39.864 - and then continuing to bolster public safety both in its traditional forms and alternative public safety. 01:17:39.864 --> 01:17:46.193 - So there are many new laws that keep popping up and we will continue to work with our partners to figure 01:17:46.193 --> 01:17:52.402 - out how to best address those and support the providers who are out there on the ground providing that 01:17:52.402 --> 01:17:58.430 - and advocating for all rowing in the same direction on a shared vision and service area boundaries. 01:17:58.850 --> 01:18:05.163 - Continuing to develop Hopewell can't wait to see some shovels in the ground there and moving on to the 01:18:05.163 --> 01:18:11.660 - next section and also implementing the lessons that we've learned as learning by doing as being an entity 01:18:11.660 --> 01:18:18.157 - going through this process and learning what developers go through and what the obstacles are practically 01:18:18.157 --> 01:18:24.409 - to developing affordable housing Continuing to work on building a safe city rewiring our city systems 01:18:24.409 --> 01:18:28.638 - launching new communication tools Challenges again the technology is 01:18:29.410 --> 01:18:34.812 - What what happened? I will say that I've been impressed at the city in my time here at the number of 01:18:34.812 --> 01:18:40.161 - MacGyvers We have here and people really are great at finding workarounds But these are very people 01:18:40.161 --> 01:18:45.616 - intensive workarounds and as we enter a time when we have to be very careful about staff Those really 01:18:45.616 --> 01:18:50.965 - aren't options anymore Funding our infrastructure dreams also a problem But those are probabilities 01:18:50.965 --> 01:18:56.367 - where we can collaborate with the county do some capital planning and continue working on how can we 01:18:56.367 --> 01:18:57.758 - make visible progress and 01:18:58.626 --> 01:19:04.373 - So personnel, last year you had kindly added a part-time emergency management specialist to work on 01:19:04.373 --> 01:19:10.408 - building safety, starting with City Hall. We turned that to a contract position for a number of reasons. 01:19:10.408 --> 01:19:16.500 - One, we were concerned about SEA-1, but also the person that we wanted to hire has some other obligations 01:19:16.500 --> 01:19:22.477 - with the city, and we wanted them to keep being able to do that, to serve on the utility service board, 01:19:22.477 --> 01:19:26.270 - and to be able to take on other clients. So it worked out nicely. 01:19:27.042 --> 01:19:33.635 - The big changes, so that $50,000 moved from personnel to other services, which is a big chunk of why 01:19:33.635 --> 01:19:40.358 - that number looks so high and why our personnel number is flat. And I did detail in the memo where the 01:19:40.358 --> 01:19:46.299 - other money came from, but essentially $5,000 to support the winter shelter, which is more 01:19:46.299 --> 01:19:52.957 - easily administered through the general fund and the mayor's office than hand and HUD rules. And some 01:19:52.957 --> 01:19:56.286 - other things that I can tell you about on request. 01:19:56.866 --> 01:20:07.598 - That's it. Thank you, and I welcome all of your questions Thank You deputy mayor now, we'll go to questions 01:20:07.598 --> 01:20:17.634 - now from council Any questions for the office of the mayor's budget Councilmember Stossberg a Little 01:20:17.634 --> 01:20:23.198 - bit more about what you ended with with the moving that 01:20:23.490 --> 01:20:28.790 - part-time position to be a contracted position because the person you wanted to hire was on the utility 01:20:28.790 --> 01:20:33.989 - service board? Is that what you said? That's one piece of the puzzle. That was not the entire puzzle. 01:20:33.989 --> 01:20:39.136 - So to back up a little bit, when we first started talking about this position, we talked with IU and 01:20:39.136 --> 01:20:44.334 - other places who have more experience with these kinds of roles. Should it be full-time? Should it be 01:20:44.334 --> 01:20:49.635 - part-time? Should it be consultant? And the advice was either consultant or part-time. And at the time, 01:20:49.635 --> 01:20:52.030 - we thought a part-time person would be better. 01:20:52.130 --> 01:20:57.333 - On staff because that would allow someone to get to know all of the units in the city and they they'd 01:20:57.333 --> 01:21:02.434 - need to have those connections As we interviewed for that role We did have many candidates who were 01:21:02.434 --> 01:21:07.637 - from not from Bloomington or even from out of state and we had candidates from inside Bloomington who 01:21:07.637 --> 01:21:12.738 - already knew the city very well and so both of these present situations where you don't really want 01:21:12.738 --> 01:21:17.278 - to ask someone to move from another state for a part-time job that if funding is cut and 01:21:17.634 --> 01:21:23.225 - You know first in first out might be one of the ones to get cut and also if you have someone who on 01:21:23.225 --> 01:21:25.182 - deck who already knows many of the 01:21:25.250 --> 01:21:30.998 - Issues of governmental life and municipal life and all of the people involved that that's a great candidate 01:21:30.998 --> 01:21:36.374 - but there can be a conflict of interest if you have someone who's working for the city and serving a 01:21:36.374 --> 01:21:41.750 - paid position on a board and Our candidate that we really wanted not only was on a board and serving 01:21:41.750 --> 01:21:47.072 - well that we wanted to keep but also had the opportunity by Becoming consultant to then form an LLC 01:21:47.072 --> 01:21:52.448 - and take on other clients. So it's kind of a win-win We're still getting all of the great work done. 01:21:52.448 --> 01:21:55.216 - We have a they've been on the job for about a month 01:21:55.216 --> 01:22:03.486 - Now and moving through the list of things that we decide to accomplish in our first check-in He said 01:22:03.486 --> 01:22:11.920 - he thought we could get through more than what we had put in our scope of work For the first year then 01:22:11.920 --> 01:22:20.436 - we had planned so all good on that front Other questions from council councilmember Piedmont Smith Yes, 01:22:20.436 --> 01:22:22.974 - so since You're planning a new 01:22:24.834 --> 01:22:31.826 - planning a first time human resources information system. I'm shocked that it doesn't exist. And of 01:22:31.826 --> 01:22:39.099 - course a new financial system. I'm wondering what change management techniques are employed by the city 01:22:39.099 --> 01:22:46.091 - when new systems are put into place. As somebody who worked at IU for 27 years, systems were always 01:22:46.091 --> 01:22:53.293 - changing and those changes were not always managed well for the employees. So what strategies does the 01:22:53.293 --> 01:22:54.622 - administration use 01:22:55.298 --> 01:23:01.344 - Well that's a great question and I think the starting point is listening to staff when they say either 01:23:01.344 --> 01:23:07.391 - we can make this work or we can't make it work. That's step one. If you have a system that people have 01:23:07.391 --> 01:23:13.555 - been making work and they can continue to make it work, you lose a lot of efficiency just in the process 01:23:13.555 --> 01:23:19.953 - of adopting and learning how to use a new tool. In this case, since we have no tool for HR and the financial 01:23:19.953 --> 01:23:23.006 - system, if anyone of you have ever tried to use it, 01:23:23.330 --> 01:23:29.892 - very opaque even to someone with a little bit of an accounting background. I think it's fair to say 01:23:29.892 --> 01:23:36.717 - whatever systems we use will be better in terms of being easier to train people on, but there will need 01:23:36.717 --> 01:23:43.410 - to be very in-depth training and it is a great opportunity to make sure that the processes that we're 01:23:43.410 --> 01:23:45.182 - following also make sense. 01:23:45.282 --> 01:23:51.314 - For example, is it the right thing to do to have someone fill out a word form for a contract cover letter 01:23:51.314 --> 01:23:57.289 - turn it into a PDF Attach it to an email with a bunch of other things and mail it to email it to someone 01:23:57.289 --> 01:24:03.151 - to get something approved The answer to that is no So I think there will be a great sigh of relief and 01:24:03.151 --> 01:24:06.622 - it is generally felt throughout the city that these are both 01:24:07.426 --> 01:24:15.703 - really big needs so there will be growing pains and I'm sure the office of the controller and HR will 01:24:15.703 --> 01:24:24.062 - be working very carefully on those transitions, but The relief factor I think will provide a huge will 01:24:24.062 --> 01:24:32.340 - be the wind at our backs as we go through this implementation Thank you for the questions Seeing none 01:24:32.340 --> 01:24:34.206 - we'll go to the public 01:24:37.250 --> 01:24:46.921 - anyone is in council chambers who would like to comment on the office of the mayor's budget or online 01:24:46.921 --> 01:24:56.402 - Please use your raised hand function Any takers? Mr. No one. Okay, seeing none then we'll come back 01:24:56.402 --> 01:25:05.694 - to council for final comment Okay seeing no comments, thank you very much for your presentation I 01:25:09.026 --> 01:25:15.910 - Moving on to the Office of Controller, Mr. McKim. Welcome. Good evening, council members. My name is 01:25:15.910 --> 01:25:22.929 - Jeff McKim, City Controller, and I was hoping to introduce Deputy Controller Cheryl Gilliland, but she 01:25:22.929 --> 01:25:29.745 - just stepped out for a moment to pick up her charger. The Office of the Controller exists to ensure 01:25:29.745 --> 01:25:37.310 - that the city's finances are accurate, transparent, well-managed, and positioned for long-term sustainability. 01:25:37.410 --> 01:25:43.223 - We have 12 full-time employees, including me, and much of the work of the controller's office happens 01:25:43.223 --> 01:25:48.978 - behind the scenes in support of the entire city government. Our staff make sure that over 1,000 city 01:25:48.978 --> 01:25:54.677 - employees are paid accurately and on time, that vendors are properly vetted and paid promptly, that 01:25:54.677 --> 01:26:00.718 - receipts and payments are recorded and accounted for accurately, that bank accounts are reconciled daily, 01:26:00.718 --> 01:26:03.966 - and that attempts at fraud are identified and prevented. 01:26:04.130 --> 01:26:10.070 - We maintain the city's financial system and budgets, oversee purchasing and procurement, and provide 01:26:10.070 --> 01:26:16.010 - the financial controls and processes that allow departments across the city to do their work. Before 01:26:16.010 --> 01:26:21.598 - I go further, I do want to recognize somebody who's played an extraordinary role in that work. 01:26:21.598 --> 01:26:28.126 - This Friday, our purchasing manager, Julie Martindale Long, will retire after 36 years of service to the city. 01:26:29.826 --> 01:26:35.612 - That is an exceptional amount of institutional knowledge, expertise, and dedication to public service. 01:26:35.612 --> 01:26:41.341 - I just want to recognize Julie and thank her for many years of expert and dedicated service, and wish 01:26:41.341 --> 01:26:46.959 - her a well-deserved retirement. As you know, I began serving as controller on January 11th. There's 01:26:46.959 --> 01:26:52.632 - certainly been a substantial learning curve, and the transition has not been without its challenges. 01:26:52.632 --> 01:26:58.362 - But throughout that transition, we have maintained the city's day-to-day financial operations without 01:26:58.362 --> 01:26:59.710 - significant disruption. 01:27:00.322 --> 01:27:05.242 - One of the most immediate challenges we inherited was the city's delayed annual financial reporting 01:27:05.242 --> 01:27:10.359 - and audit schedule, a situation that had developed over a number of years prior to this administration. 01:27:10.359 --> 01:27:14.590 - And as a result, we've effectively had to complete two audit cycles in a single year. 01:27:15.106 --> 01:27:20.771 - We successfully completed the city's 2024 ACFR and audit and laid out April and then immediately had 01:27:20.771 --> 01:27:26.437 - to pivot to doing the gap financial reporting and audit process for 2025 We're currently on track to 01:27:26.437 --> 01:27:32.327 - complete that process by September 30th And our audit exit conference is already scheduled for September 01:27:32.327 --> 01:27:36.702 - 22nd with councilmember Stossberg participating on behalf of the City Council 01:27:37.506 --> 01:27:42.727 - Second significant challenge is the retirement of our purchasing manager, which I mentioned earlier 01:27:42.727 --> 01:27:48.052 - This is a critical citywide position responsible for overseeing procurement across the civil city Not 01:27:48.052 --> 01:27:53.794 - simply within the controller's office with Julie's retirement. We're losing 36 years of purchasing experience 01:27:53.794 --> 01:27:59.224 - Recognizing the importance of maintaining continuity in this function Our staff has been cross training 01:27:59.224 --> 01:28:04.862 - on key purchasing responsibilities and we currently have an active recruitment underway for her replacement 01:28:05.378 --> 01:28:11.248 - And then finally, we've devoted substantial time and resources to understanding and preparing for the 01:28:11.248 --> 01:28:17.290 - restructuring of Indiana's local income tax system, resulting from SEA 1 and HEA 1210. These are complex 01:28:17.290 --> 01:28:23.390 - changes that will have significant implications for city revenues, budget, and long-term fiscal planning. 01:28:23.586 --> 01:28:29.240 - Additional legislative changes remain as well. So while much of our attention this year has been devoted 01:28:29.240 --> 01:28:34.893 - to maintaining continuity catching up on financial reporting Managing a significant personnel transition 01:28:34.893 --> 01:28:40.709 - and responding to major changes in state law I believe we're also beginning to put the office in a stronger 01:28:40.709 --> 01:28:42.270 - position for the years ahead 01:28:44.066 --> 01:28:49.604 - I want to talk for a couple of minutes about some things that I believe we need to accomplish for 2027. 01:28:49.604 --> 01:28:55.249 - One thing you will notice that's not on this list is OBB. But hold on, I do think there is a path forward 01:28:55.249 --> 01:29:00.734 - on OBB, which I will discuss after I go through these priorities. If I run out of time, please ask me. 01:29:06.146 --> 01:29:11.502 - So what are our goals for next year? I've already talked about the struggles with getting caught up 01:29:11.502 --> 01:29:17.125 - with the audited ACFRs and how we're now and will continue to be caught up on the ACFR with the deadline 01:29:17.125 --> 01:29:22.695 - of September 30th. However, the Government Financial Officers Association standard for timely financial 01:29:22.695 --> 01:29:28.318 - reporting is to issue the report within six months of the end of the fiscal year, which means June 30th. 01:29:28.770 --> 01:29:34.464 - Timely financial information is important because the information becomes less useful to policymakers, 01:29:34.464 --> 01:29:39.993 - investors, and the public as it ages. Our goal going forward is to consistently meet that June 30th 01:29:39.993 --> 01:29:45.687 - standard, three months ahead of the deadline, and as we continue to prove our year-end close and audit 01:29:45.687 --> 01:29:49.502 - processes, look for opportunities to complete the ACFR even earlier. 01:29:49.730 --> 01:29:55.418 - We also intend for the first time to produce a popular annual financial report or PAFR. This is also 01:29:55.418 --> 01:30:01.274 - an established practice in government financial reporting recognized by the Government Finance Officers 01:30:01.274 --> 01:30:07.018 - Association. And while the ACFR is necessarily a detailed and technical accounting document, the PAFR 01:30:07.018 --> 01:30:12.818 - presents the financial information in a shorter or accessible format using plain language, charts, and 01:30:12.818 --> 01:30:18.675 - graphics to explain where the city's money comes from, how it's spent, and the city's overall financial 01:30:18.675 --> 01:30:19.294 - condition. 01:30:23.202 --> 01:30:28.555 - One of the major goals is to develop a more systematic and long-term approach to capital planning We've 01:30:28.555 --> 01:30:33.909 - been working with our municipal advisors at Reedy Financial Group to develop a capital improvement plan 01:30:33.909 --> 01:30:39.417 - And we now have a first iteration based on input from our department heads about their anticipated capital 01:30:39.417 --> 01:30:43.998 - needs This is very much a living process. We'll continue to refine it as needs costs and 01:30:44.130 --> 01:30:49.778 - and priorities change, but it gives us a framework for evaluating and prioritizing projects across the 01:30:49.778 --> 01:30:55.646 - organization, particularly important as we work within the new revenue and borrowing constraints of SEA 1. 01:30:58.498 --> 01:31:04.959 - And this follows on to some comments that the deputy mayor made we are increasingly constrained by an 01:31:04.959 --> 01:31:11.674 - aging enterprise resource Planning or ERP system that supports some of the city's most critical functions 01:31:11.674 --> 01:31:14.398 - including finance HR payroll and utilities 01:31:14.466 --> 01:31:19.791 - The city has used New World for more than 15 years. It has served us adequately and it continues to 01:31:19.791 --> 01:31:25.436 - receive necessary security and compliance updates. But the city's operations and the technology available 01:31:25.436 --> 01:31:30.867 - to support them have evolved considerably over those 15 years, while the capabilities of our existing 01:31:30.867 --> 01:31:36.512 - system have not kept pace. I want to emphasize that this is not the case of a system that's fundamentally 01:31:36.512 --> 01:31:37.470 - broken. It works. 01:31:37.538 --> 01:31:43.010 - The problem is the amount of staff time and manual effort required to make it work. From the controller's 01:31:43.010 --> 01:31:47.966 - perspective, routine financial processes involve far more manual intervention than they should. 01:31:48.034 --> 01:31:54.304 - Reports and data extracts frequently require substantial reformatting before they can be used for budgets, 01:31:54.304 --> 01:32:00.574 - state gateway reporting, audits, or other purposes. Invoices have to be entered manually. Payroll requires 01:32:00.574 --> 01:32:06.726 - significant manual processing. Financials aren't integrated with the human resources information system, 01:32:06.726 --> 01:32:12.938 - which requires more time consuming manual processes. Vendors and residents have very limited self-service 01:32:12.938 --> 01:32:13.758 - capabilities. 01:32:13.826 --> 01:32:20.229 - Our ability to categorize and analyze revenues and expenditures is constrained by the structure of the 01:32:20.229 --> 01:32:26.507 - chart of accounts rather than allowing us to tag and analyze transaction across multiple dimensions, 01:32:26.507 --> 01:32:32.723 - which comes into play when we're talking about OBV. I am definitely running late, so I'm gonna have 01:32:32.723 --> 01:32:39.064 - to move on. Another goal, as you know, the convention center lease rental bonds are supported by food 01:32:39.064 --> 01:32:39.934 - and beverage. 01:32:40.322 --> 01:32:45.683 - tax revenues, local income tax revenues were also pledged as a backup, which helped the city obtain 01:32:45.683 --> 01:32:51.419 - more favorable financing terms. At the time the bonds were issued, the council was told we would establish 01:32:51.419 --> 01:32:56.779 - a revenue stabilization fund equal to one year of lease payments, providing an additional buffer in 01:32:56.779 --> 01:33:02.301 - the unlikely event that F&B tax revenues were insufficient to make a payment. We now intend to fulfill 01:33:02.301 --> 01:33:07.876 - that commitment by establishing an interest-bearing revenue stabilization account with the bond trustee 01:33:07.876 --> 01:33:10.288 - and transferring the equivalent of two lease 01:33:10.288 --> 01:33:15.912 - from the Food and Beverage Tax Fund into that account. If those reserves are never needed for stabilization, 01:33:15.912 --> 01:33:21.278 - they will ultimately be used to make the final two lease payments. This accomplishes two things. First, 01:33:21.278 --> 01:33:26.438 - it provides an additional layer of protection should we ever need to rely on the lit backup pledge. 01:33:26.438 --> 01:33:32.062 - And second, it provides a clearer picture of the actual available balance in the Food and Beverage Tax Fund. 01:33:35.106 --> 01:33:41.775 - The controller's budget has been reduced by $250,000, which has been moved to the surety bond proceeds 01:33:41.775 --> 01:33:48.380 - fund. The 2027 budget request includes a $500,000 transfer from the surety bonds proceeds fund to the 01:33:48.380 --> 01:33:55.114 - fiber connectivity fund. As part of our agreement with Meridium doing business as M Street fiber, we're 01:33:55.114 --> 01:33:59.582 - required to deposit $1 million total in the fiber connectivity fund. 01:33:59.682 --> 01:34:06.021 - which funds half the costs of connecting low-income households to the network. For the past two years, 01:34:06.021 --> 01:34:12.175 - we've transferred $250,000 from the general fund for this purpose. However, this year, we're paying 01:34:12.175 --> 01:34:18.329 - the remaining balance of the commitment out of the surety bonds proceeds fund, which was created by 01:34:18.329 --> 01:34:24.298 - you to receive $1 million in proceeds from the surety bond called due to failure by the Meridian 01:34:24.298 --> 01:34:28.606 - subcontractor, AEG, to properly install fiber within the city limits. 01:34:29.218 --> 01:34:35.198 - With respect to services, we are working with our municipal advisors on several issues, including overall 01:34:35.198 --> 01:34:40.897 - financial planning, capital improvement planning, and in particular, analyzing and preparing for the 01:34:40.897 --> 01:34:46.708 - impacts of income tax changes. We also continue to use the services of our GAP compiler to convert our 01:34:46.708 --> 01:34:52.406 - fund accounting system to the GAP financial reports required for the ACFR and audit. We don't expect 01:34:52.406 --> 01:34:54.494 - to see any reduction in these needs. 01:34:54.562 --> 01:34:59.833 - In the past the city has used two different municipal advisors extensively and we found ourselves using 01:34:59.833 --> 01:35:05.255 - one of them primarily and so we'll be closing out in an existing three hundred thousand dollar encumbrance 01:35:05.255 --> 01:35:10.475 - from an existing open purchase order with one Municipal advisor but to ensure that we have the funding 01:35:10.475 --> 01:35:15.644 - to deal with all the upcoming financial requirements our budget proposal adds a hundred nine thousand 01:35:15.644 --> 01:35:20.915 - to the services line so that we can ensure that we have the support to continue to evolve our financial 01:35:20.915 --> 01:35:24.158 - plan capital improvement plan and prepare for lit restructuring 01:35:25.570 --> 01:35:32.736 - And I am out of time, so thank you very much, and I am here to answer any questions that you have. How 01:35:32.736 --> 01:35:39.137 - much time would you require? Another minute or so? Yeah, that would be great. Okay, well... 01:35:39.137 --> 01:35:46.372 - Question time. All right. For three minutes. Great. Why don't you proceed, then? Well, then, I did want 01:35:46.372 --> 01:35:53.468 - to say that I did find out in reanalyzing our budget yesterday, I did find some lines that I can cut, 01:35:53.468 --> 01:35:55.486 - so when we submit, we can... 01:35:55.714 --> 01:36:01.565 - reduce that increase to $58,510. And so finally, what I will take the opportunity to do then is move 01:36:01.565 --> 01:36:07.417 - back to outcome-based budgeting. As you know, we did not move forward this year with an OBB project. 01:36:07.417 --> 01:36:13.211 - With me being new in the job and learning the financial system, with the amount of manual work that 01:36:13.211 --> 01:36:19.004 - needed to be done with our financial system and other priorities, including two audits in one year, 01:36:19.004 --> 01:36:22.654 - accessibility mandates, and a new state budgeting application, 01:36:22.850 --> 01:36:28.193 - All that combined with the feedback that we received from council that the work done last year was not 01:36:28.193 --> 01:36:33.484 - useful in providing you with a more informative budget process, we decided to suspend OBB and instead 01:36:33.484 --> 01:36:38.878 - engage in a broader discussion with council about shared priorities. We communicated that to the fiscal 01:36:38.878 --> 01:36:44.532 - committee early on and the council engaged in a subsequent discussion of priorities which the administration 01:36:44.532 --> 01:36:49.823 - used in formulating this year's budget. However, I do think there is a path to success if the council 01:36:49.823 --> 01:36:51.742 - still wants to use an OBB framework. 01:36:51.970 --> 01:36:57.853 - That approach would require a project charter that defines what the minimum viable product is, a council 01:36:57.853 --> 01:37:03.511 - administration working group that would be very hands-on, and a pilot or phasing approach that would 01:37:03.511 --> 01:37:09.618 - allow for a limited number of mutually agreed-upon programs or priorities crossing at least two departments. 01:37:09.618 --> 01:37:15.556 - The pilot should test the proposed data structures, measures, crosswalks, reporting processes, and public 01:37:15.556 --> 01:37:18.974 - presentation before those requirements are imposed citywide. 01:37:19.234 --> 01:37:25.740 - Remain an enthusiastic supporter of an outcome based budgeting approach. So I Think like I said, I think 01:37:25.740 --> 01:37:32.184 - there is a path forward So in conclusion the office of the controllers budget and plan for 2027 focuses 01:37:32.184 --> 01:37:38.380 - on strengthening our financial transparency Investing wisely in the city's long-term infrastructure 01:37:38.380 --> 01:37:44.638 - and systems and preparing Bloomington for the fiscal changes that lie ahead. Thank you for listening 01:37:46.818 --> 01:37:53.673 - Thank you controller Kim. So now we'll go to questions from council councilman Piedmont Smith Yes Mr. 01:37:53.673 --> 01:38:00.528 - McKim, even though you had extra time it was kind of fast about the outcome-based budgeting So I just 01:38:00.528 --> 01:38:07.585 - want to follow up make sure I understand So will the ability to track expenditures in order to implement 01:38:07.585 --> 01:38:14.910 - outcome-based budgeting be a mandatory criterion for any new financial management system that you select and 01:38:16.002 --> 01:38:22.647 - Yes, and let me you know come back to kind of what the obstacle with the current system is like I said 01:38:22.647 --> 01:38:29.099 - It's not that there is anything fundamentally broken about it. We accurately characterize and store 01:38:29.099 --> 01:38:35.551 - transactions we can accurately output them the problem is that the whole reporting framework of the 01:38:35.551 --> 01:38:39.422 - existing system is just so clunky that everything takes and 01:38:39.618 --> 01:38:48.633 - an enormous amount of time and manual data cleaning, manual reformatting of reports, and we lack the 01:38:48.633 --> 01:38:58.095 - ability to have any kind of consistent data pipeline from one system to another. So the ability to report 01:38:58.095 --> 01:39:07.646 - both accurately but also quickly and in a flexible format so that that data can be extracted and pipelined 01:39:07.646 --> 01:39:09.342 - into other systems 01:39:09.538 --> 01:39:17.736 - Absolutely essential. I mean, yes if we did not have that ability to to To report in a more flexible 01:39:17.736 --> 01:39:26.340 - and efficient manner, there'd be no point in doing it The short answer is yes. It is absolutely a central 01:39:26.340 --> 01:39:34.457 - criterion okay, and Because it went so fast. Can you go back and talk about what steps you envision 01:39:34.457 --> 01:39:38.110 - next year to? Take us closer to OBB well, so 01:39:38.594 --> 01:39:45.680 - Don't even know that it needs to wait till next year. I think what what I thought the really the kind 01:39:45.680 --> 01:39:53.045 - of Initial steps that we would need to take if the council was Interested we first of all have to develop 01:39:53.045 --> 01:39:59.992 - some sort of project charter that really that says what is your definition of success? What is your 01:39:59.992 --> 01:40:06.453 - what is a? Minimum viable product I think was the term that was used in one of the questions 01:40:06.453 --> 01:40:08.190 - from councilmember Asari 01:40:09.730 --> 01:40:16.005 - We need to know that kind of understand what that looks like in advance. I think we also need to have 01:40:16.005 --> 01:40:22.280 - hands-on working group of both administration and Council members to make sure that we're not this is 01:40:22.280 --> 01:40:28.433 - not something where you can kind of give direction and say go off and do and then hope we come back 01:40:28.433 --> 01:40:33.662 - with something that works it is something that would need some kind of really fairly 01:40:34.658 --> 01:40:41.369 - Intensive I guess is the best word but hands on and then the third is just is a phasing structure that 01:40:41.369 --> 01:40:48.145 - lets us pilot something that And that doesn't have to be at budget time I mean that reporting that that 01:40:48.145 --> 01:40:52.510 - piloting could certainly be at a stage much earlier than budgeting 01:40:52.674 --> 01:41:00.258 - So I think if we had those three things, I think there is a path forward It is still going to be until 01:41:00.258 --> 01:41:07.621 - we're able to upgrade the financial system It is still going to be still going to be stuck with the 01:41:07.621 --> 01:41:15.205 - clunkiness of the existing system and doing a lot of manual reformatting of data as it comes out Thank 01:41:15.205 --> 01:41:20.286 - you Further questions from council councilmember Flaherty. Thank you 01:41:21.762 --> 01:41:28.068 - We don't hear presentations from Bloomington Transit or the Housing Authority anymore because we don't 01:41:28.068 --> 01:41:34.190 - approve their budgets But one thing with Bloomington Transit that we did commit some years ago with 01:41:34.190 --> 01:41:39.884 - the economic development lit was an annual appropriation To support among other things rapid 01:41:39.884 --> 01:41:46.251 - fleet electrification Can you remind me? Does that is that through the end of 2027 that that commitment 01:41:46.251 --> 01:41:50.782 - correct that this budget includes the last payment of that commitment and 01:41:51.138 --> 01:41:57.365 - The ED lit as it currently exists sunsets at the end of 2028 essentially a year later. Is that right? 01:41:57.365 --> 01:42:03.837 - Correct Have there been any conversations between the mayor's administration and? limiting transit either 01:42:03.837 --> 01:42:10.247 - the board or it's its director about that about what the implications of The final year of the the prior 01:42:10.247 --> 01:42:16.536 - commitment that was made being next year like what happens when if that money isn't there in 2028 What 01:42:16.536 --> 01:42:20.382 - they're using it for? What needs they have that kind of thing? 01:42:20.770 --> 01:42:27.809 - I do have notes on that that I Pulled up because I thought this might come up. So What they used it 01:42:27.809 --> 01:42:34.989 - for was seed money for electric buses and charging infrastructure on the new facility It's never been 01:42:34.989 --> 01:42:42.028 - operational money. They've never used it for that Microtransit might have been an exception, but it 01:42:42.028 --> 01:42:48.222 - was more strategic to use it for to increase the federal funding match essentially from 01:42:48.610 --> 01:42:55.460 - from the feds for electric and charging so They Here's a quote the city stepped up with the five-year 01:42:55.460 --> 01:43:02.376 - commitment and gave us an opportunity to tackle big projects Now we need a special taxing district for 01:43:02.376 --> 01:43:09.427 - BT that the county Could create and that would continue the narrative and so it and this is again coming 01:43:09.427 --> 01:43:16.210 - from the former GM who as we know is outgoing but the vision was to transition to Monroe Transit and 01:43:16.210 --> 01:43:17.150 - have a bigger 01:43:17.282 --> 01:43:23.081 - service area and that would allow a different mechanism to include rural transit and IU that might be 01:43:23.081 --> 01:43:29.221 - more attractive to them as subcranked contractors and get that writer should up ship up to really Massively 01:43:29.221 --> 01:43:35.190 - increase the federal share which is the the big money that really would make the transformational impact 01:43:35.190 --> 01:43:41.046 - So they are not expecting it to continue They don't use it for operations. So it will not impact their 01:43:41.046 --> 01:43:44.798 - daily operations to have it go away and there is a bigger plan to 01:43:44.898 --> 01:43:50.321 - Recoup that and much much much more if they could move to a different funding structure essentially 01:43:50.321 --> 01:43:55.961 - Thank you. Maybe just one last question, which you may not know the answer to but if you do Do you know 01:43:55.961 --> 01:44:01.817 - if they were able to like what percent of their fleet is electrified like what they were able to accomplish 01:44:01.817 --> 01:44:07.348 - essentially? I believe it's almost entirely electric at this point. Okay. I don't know that I see mr. 01:44:07.348 --> 01:44:13.042 - Askins is shaking his head. I don't know the answers that I can find out though Yeah, I can ask as well. 01:44:13.042 --> 01:44:14.398 - Thank you. Appreciate it 01:44:17.986 --> 01:44:28.247 - Council questions Councilmember Stossberg Second to you mentioned having had a discussion about outcome-based 01:44:28.247 --> 01:44:37.668 - budgeting at the fiscal committee meeting and what I pulled up and what I recall was A list of seven 01:44:37.668 --> 01:44:43.358 - priorities that the mayoral administration came forward with 01:44:43.490 --> 01:44:50.720 - And five of those, it looked like, had specific things that were trackable in terms of outcomes. And 01:44:50.720 --> 01:44:57.878 - that is what was in our packet. So can you clarify exactly, like, were any of those things actually 01:44:57.878 --> 01:45:05.323 - tracked? I mean, here it's trackable priorities were assets, maintenance and enhancement, homelessness, 01:45:05.323 --> 01:45:13.054 - homelessness mitigation, transportation, implementation of zero fatalities, and safe streets for all plans. 01:45:13.186 --> 01:45:21.453 - And then housing economic development climate didn't seem to have any specific thing in it at the time, 01:45:21.453 --> 01:45:29.403 - though I was also told this might be a draft. And then public safety had alternative response in as 01:45:29.403 --> 01:45:37.829 - something trackable. So were any of those things, I mean, that's how it's labeled as trackable priorities 01:45:37.829 --> 01:45:41.406 - in that packet from, I think it's June 12th. 01:45:42.498 --> 01:45:50.704 - I have no doubt that some of the responsible departments are tracking those metrics. They are not being 01:45:50.704 --> 01:45:58.753 - tracked at the central financial system level for the reasons we've already talked about. Okay. Would 01:45:58.753 --> 01:46:06.644 - the Deputy Mayor perhaps like to speak to that in terms of the budget instructions or creation that 01:46:06.644 --> 01:46:08.222 - you gave to cabinet 01:46:10.978 --> 01:46:17.260 - So I think the short answer is we did ask people to indicate and to pull out, if they could, what the 01:46:17.260 --> 01:46:23.727 - amounts were that they were spending on those priorities. There are some ways in which it's really easy. 01:46:23.727 --> 01:46:29.886 - You can look at, for example, obviously police and fire. All of that is public safety. That's easy. 01:46:29.986 --> 01:46:36.095 - But when you're looking at other departments where, let's use CFRD as an example, where the staff are 01:46:36.095 --> 01:46:42.384 - very intermingled in what they do, it is harder to separate out staff time by person for what percentage 01:46:42.384 --> 01:46:48.733 - you spend on this. And honestly, it's just a time problem of, as we're approaching the budget and putting 01:46:48.733 --> 01:46:54.782 - the budget book together with a busy controller, trying to figure out how do we collect all of that. 01:46:54.882 --> 01:47:00.653 - I guess an example would be the grants spreadsheet that we shared with you all in notes last year We 01:47:00.653 --> 01:47:06.938 - were able to provide a more detailed list this year It was much harder to pull together because of everything 01:47:06.938 --> 01:47:12.995 - that was else that was going on earlier in the spring with Accessibility and a new controller just didn't 01:47:12.995 --> 01:47:19.166 - have enough time to do what we would have liked to do Okay, thank you Councilmember council president sorry 01:47:21.154 --> 01:47:28.925 - Thank you. I was really fascinated by, you know, the wonders of ERP. Could you tell me all of the things 01:47:28.925 --> 01:47:36.030 - that it will actually do? Well, we don't have a product chosen yet. I mean, there are certainly 01:47:36.290 --> 01:47:41.679 - some options that we have that we talk about, but we do have to go through a procurement process. And 01:47:41.679 --> 01:47:47.015 - obviously we'll talk about this with ITSC here in a second, but I mean, the question that I'm really 01:47:47.015 --> 01:47:52.351 - interested in getting at is the, I mean, I guess if I would just ask it quite directly, it's whether 01:47:52.351 --> 01:47:57.739 - or not the administration wants to do outcome-based budgeting, because the council's been very clear. 01:47:57.739 --> 01:48:03.287 - We voted nine-zero that that's what we wanted, and so, and I'm trying to understand a little bit between 01:48:03.287 --> 01:48:04.766 - what's the actual technical 01:48:04.898 --> 01:48:11.848 - Difficulty I think you know yeah like we can't do crosswalks and find things out, but like will this 01:48:11.848 --> 01:48:19.005 - system help us identify programs? Or who's owning them or what we want to achieve with them well again. 01:48:19.005 --> 01:48:26.162 - I think this is where we have to kind of set up this Charter with a with the definition of what success 01:48:26.162 --> 01:48:33.319 - is so if that's you know if that's something that you and the council considers essential to to success 01:48:33.319 --> 01:48:34.558 - then that becomes 01:48:34.754 --> 01:48:43.953 - a criterion that we use to move forward with. I think like I mentioned before, we didn't have any one 01:48:43.953 --> 01:48:53.062 - technical obstacle before. It was just new me, a huge number of priorities that absolutely had to be 01:48:53.062 --> 01:49:02.081 - done, two audits, staff transition, and just a really clunky system. And so there's just not enough 01:49:02.081 --> 01:49:03.614 - time in the day. 01:49:04.034 --> 01:49:10.451 - And then we feel like if we get a new technology, it's going to change our ability to approach to approach 01:49:10.451 --> 01:49:16.689 - this sort of like holistically So I wish you had asked during my presentation this you could have asked 01:49:16.689 --> 01:49:22.986 - this question of me and then I could have given you this answer So hogging Jeff's time. Sorry Apologies, 01:49:22.986 --> 01:49:29.044 - but you know, I really want to stress we need counsel to be actively involved in a very detailed and 01:49:29.044 --> 01:49:33.182 - probably tedious boring way for you in defining what this looks like 01:49:33.634 --> 01:49:40.423 - We spent, staff spent hours and hours and hours last year developing program inventories, putting them 01:49:40.423 --> 01:49:47.475 - into the system that we tried to use last year. I spent days and days and days organizing them. I received 01:49:47.475 --> 01:49:54.264 - zero feedback from council about the level of intricacy. We need that from you. We need to know before 01:49:54.264 --> 01:49:59.998 - we start, how detailed do you want it to be? Which programs do you want us to look at? 01:50:00.226 --> 01:50:09.517 - So it's going to take more than we want this It's going to take you showing up to meetings with us over 01:50:09.517 --> 01:50:18.450 - and over again and saying not like this like this What about that? It's going to be hands-on. Sure. 01:50:18.450 --> 01:50:27.562 - Thank you Other questions from council councilmember rough Top priority or goal for the coming budget 01:50:27.562 --> 01:50:29.438 - year for your office 01:50:29.570 --> 01:50:39.216 - one of them is strengthening fiscal transparency. Is that all sort of the incentive or the motivation 01:50:39.216 --> 01:50:48.673 - or the drive for that prioritization? Is that mainly sort of state-initiated ACFR auditing types of 01:50:48.673 --> 01:50:59.454 - requirements or is there, does the administration see your office and you see sort of other strong incentives for 01:51:00.706 --> 01:51:07.880 - Strengthening fiscal transparency. Well, yeah, I think that We put a lot of work into these reports 01:51:07.880 --> 01:51:15.269 - and audits. I want them to be useful I think that's that's a big thing It's not just shouldn't be just 01:51:15.269 --> 01:51:22.801 - checking a box and meeting the minimum requirements of the state I mean, of course that that's a minimum 01:51:22.801 --> 01:51:30.334 - we do need to meet the minimum requirements of the state but it's it's a priority a because I think that 01:51:31.042 --> 01:51:38.176 - Financial information is more useful when it's more timely. I want to be able to get and just and You 01:51:38.176 --> 01:51:45.239 - can ask the your colleagues who are on the fiscal committee We have worked to get more more detailed 01:51:45.239 --> 01:51:52.792 - financial reports to To committee members and I think it's I think it's been useful. I'll ask the committee 01:51:52.792 --> 01:51:59.646 - members. I think those have been useful I think more and information in a more timely manner is a 01:52:00.578 --> 01:52:08.012 - Useful to everybody it's useful to the public and it's useful to council members and other decision-makers 01:52:08.012 --> 01:52:15.029 - And then also I think it needs to be made more user-friendly. I think I think we all know that state 01:52:15.029 --> 01:52:22.046 - reports state audit audit documents are not written in a way that and and for that matter the budget 01:52:22.046 --> 01:52:29.271 - book are not written in a way that really is very public friendly really, you know, I really think it's 01:52:29.271 --> 01:52:30.174 - important to 01:52:30.306 --> 01:52:37.642 - Part of transparency is also just explaining things and making it clear how the different pieces get 01:52:37.642 --> 01:52:44.977 - to each other So yeah, it is sort of a passion of mine that is combined by combined with I think the 01:52:44.977 --> 01:52:52.386 - need to just to be good stewards Thank You mr. McKim in in my last 30 seconds, so just sort of add on 01:52:52.386 --> 01:52:59.358 - to that do you see Sort of the budgetary implications or the the demands or opportunity cost of 01:52:59.746 --> 01:53:08.954 - Really making that a priority Would you say sort of it dovetails in any way with outcome-based budgeting 01:53:08.954 --> 01:53:17.724 - approach or is it more of a Zero-sum opportunity cost type You know, it's I mean that that's a fair 01:53:17.724 --> 01:53:21.758 - question and I think had we attempted to do a 01:53:22.210 --> 01:53:28.786 - The full OBB this year. I think it would have been a zero sum because one of the things that's really 01:53:28.786 --> 01:53:35.234 - important to remember is that OBB is not replacing one budget system with a better one. It is doing 01:53:35.234 --> 01:53:41.681 - all the same things. We already have to do Which includes, you know passing the budget the way that 01:53:41.681 --> 01:53:48.193 - we do with funds and departments and lines Transferring that information over to the state's gateway 01:53:48.193 --> 01:53:52.126 - system and approving it in using the state prescribed format 01:53:52.258 --> 01:53:59.200 - Plus some additional stuff. So I mean that's a that's a fair point and that's why to really make it 01:53:59.200 --> 01:54:06.143 - work That's why we've got to get these efficiencies and reporting. We got to make this stuff easier 01:54:06.143 --> 01:54:13.432 - for ourselves. Sorry Thank you. Thank you If there are no other questions We'll go to the public There's 01:54:13.432 --> 01:54:20.375 - anyone in council chambers who would like to comment on the office of the controllers budget Seeing 01:54:20.375 --> 01:54:21.694 - none anyone online 01:54:27.074 --> 01:54:33.038 - Please state your name and you have three minutes Kevin Keough Bloomington resident retired CPA and 01:54:33.038 --> 01:54:39.182 - practicing IT internal auditor with many years of experience in financial accounting internal controls 01:54:39.182 --> 01:54:41.150 - and information systems auditing 01:54:41.282 --> 01:54:47.529 - I attended last Friday's public safety local income tax rate committee meeting. Page 16 of the budget 01:54:47.529 --> 01:54:53.960 - book put me on notice that this is a critical issue that I need to pay attention to. Since that meeting, 01:54:53.960 --> 01:55:00.268 - I've been trying to understand what happened to the two public safety funds between 2017 to April 2nd, 01:55:00.268 --> 01:55:06.699 - 2020, I believe 2025, for which the city is responsible. Let me try my best to make this simple. I think 01:55:06.699 --> 01:55:08.414 - of these as two checkbooks. 01:55:08.546 --> 01:55:14.971 - One is the Public Safety LIT Fund, money for public safety purposes, police and fire. The other is the 01:55:14.971 --> 01:55:21.333 - PSAP Lit Fund, which is associated specifically with the Dispatch Center. These are different pots of 01:55:21.333 --> 01:55:27.758 - money for different restricted purposes, but instead of being able to open the city's financial system 01:55:27.758 --> 01:55:34.183 - and clearly see the activity and balance associated with each fund, the PSAP revenues and expenditures 01:55:34.183 --> 01:55:36.990 - for the period around 2017 through 12-31-24, 01:55:37.090 --> 01:55:44.168 - were maintained in a public safety lit fund. Somehow these funds were commingled. And here's what concerns 01:55:44.168 --> 01:55:51.247 - me even more. The PSAP detail of activity was separately tracked on a side ledger. This is like a separate 01:55:51.247 --> 01:55:57.862 - checking account register, completely outside the city's financial system. That makes following the 01:55:57.862 --> 01:56:00.574 - money very dark and very difficult. This 01:56:00.770 --> 01:56:07.056 - This concern is directly relevant to tonight's controller's presentation and the information technology 01:56:07.056 --> 01:56:13.100 - budget to come up. Mayor Thompson said recently he should describe the city's 15 year old financial 01:56:13.100 --> 01:56:16.606 - software as a bottleneck requiring extensive manual work. 01:56:16.994 --> 01:56:24.442 - Replacing that software may be necessary, but a new system alone will not correct weaknesses in financial 01:56:24.442 --> 01:56:31.468 - processes and controls. Automating a flawed process merely produces errors and more inefficiencies. 01:56:31.468 --> 01:56:38.565 - A financial system replacement is not simply an IT purchase. It's a redesign of the city's financial 01:56:38.565 --> 01:56:42.078 - operations. I think three controls are essential. 01:56:42.562 --> 01:56:49.406 - First, conduct a comprehensive current state assessment. A qualified steering committee should identify 01:56:49.406 --> 01:56:56.118 - and document off-system spreadsheets if they still exist, subsidiary ledgers, manual reconciliations, 01:56:56.118 --> 01:57:02.698 - and other workarounds throughout the whole city government. Second, establish data integrity before 01:57:02.698 --> 01:57:03.422 - migration. 01:57:03.490 --> 01:57:10.082 - Fund balances and historical transactions such as the PSAP balance should be reconciled and independently 01:57:10.082 --> 01:57:16.674 - validated before you enter it in a new system. Questionable data should not become a new system's opening 01:57:16.674 --> 01:57:20.094 - data. Third, require rigorous user acceptance testing. 01:57:20.290 --> 01:57:26.411 - Final approval should depend upon documented testing of the fund accounting and all the different basis 01:57:26.411 --> 01:57:32.473 - of accounting to use segregation of duties audit trails reconciliations access controls and compliance 01:57:32.473 --> 01:57:37.534 - requirements not met word not merely whether the software was installed successfully. 01:57:37.634 --> 01:57:47.503 - Thanks to Jeff I thought he did a great presentation and I think where he's guided where he's going 01:57:47.503 --> 01:57:57.372 - mr. Keough good place to go. I just wish I had Thank you Thank You mr. Keough for your comments are 01:57:57.372 --> 01:58:03.294 - there is there anyone else online anyone else in chambers I 01:58:06.050 --> 01:58:14.876 - We'll come back to council for final comments on the office of controller budget Councilmember Sasper 01:58:14.876 --> 01:58:23.875 - Thank you First I just want to say that it I've really enjoyed working with controller McKim this year. 01:58:23.875 --> 01:58:31.230 - I think that the efforts toward explaining things in ways that people understand are 01:58:32.322 --> 01:58:39.305 - are successful. I think that the financial reporting that he's provided to the fiscal committee has 01:58:39.305 --> 01:58:46.288 - been incredibly useful and incredibly easy to understand and grasp, and I really, really appreciate 01:58:46.288 --> 01:58:53.481 - that. But I also wanted to address this outcome-based budgeting thing, partly because I first noticed, 01:58:53.481 --> 01:58:55.646 - and I don't think that this is 01:58:55.906 --> 01:59:02.700 - necessarily for Controller McKim as much as other pieces of the administration, because in one of the 01:59:02.700 --> 01:59:09.894 - written questions from Councilmember Asari, it was referenced that a March meeting of the fiscal committee, 01:59:09.894 --> 01:59:16.954 - there was a discussion about outcome-based budgeting and deferring it, and I looked back at that meeting, 01:59:16.954 --> 01:59:24.414 - because I don't remember that discussion, and I don't have that anywhere in my notes, and I think that that's a 01:59:24.546 --> 01:59:31.203 - mischaracterization perhaps of what happened at that meeting in terms of those discussions and I also 01:59:31.203 --> 01:59:37.729 - Really kind of when I when I did then look back and go, okay when did we actually have a discussion 01:59:37.729 --> 01:59:42.558 - about trackable priorities and that sort of thing and it was at that June 01:59:42.754 --> 01:59:49.548 - 12th meeting when we were talking about this, and it did get presented as, instead of tracking everything, 01:59:49.548 --> 01:59:55.961 - like this attempt was made last year to do that, it was like, okay, we're just gonna take out, we're 01:59:55.961 --> 02:00:02.374 - gonna pull a few things out instead of all of the things. But I haven't seen those few things pulled 02:00:02.374 --> 02:00:08.851 - out particularly well or comprehensively that I have seen. Some department had budgets that say like, 02:00:08.851 --> 02:00:11.454 - oh, this particular 2027 goal, you know, 02:00:12.066 --> 02:00:18.753 - has to do with maintenance and it spends this much, but I haven't seen anywhere where it totals that 02:00:18.753 --> 02:00:25.440 - up anywhere, and so then it's left going, okay, I'm gonna have to total that up myself. I appreciate 02:00:25.440 --> 02:00:32.657 - the administration's request and need for a dedicated task force, perhaps, to help work on the outcome-based 02:00:32.657 --> 02:00:39.543 - budgeting, and I want us to all remember back to 2025 when we had a budget task force, and at the early 02:00:39.543 --> 02:00:41.662 - part of this year, it was like, 02:00:41.762 --> 02:00:48.419 - What did that task force do? Is it still needed this year? And the answer that I received and passed 02:00:48.419 --> 02:00:55.009 - on to Council President Asari because he would be the one this year who would have had to make that 02:00:55.009 --> 02:00:55.998 - happen was no. 02:00:56.194 --> 02:01:02.553 - That that task force was was not particularly helpful last year and that it didn't need to continue 02:01:02.553 --> 02:01:09.230 - this year So I I don't feel as though communication around outcome-based budgeting has been particularly 02:01:09.230 --> 02:01:15.843 - smooth this year and I think that it's Just ended up disappointing all around in terms of how it's been 02:01:15.843 --> 02:01:21.630 - laid out in the budget this year. Thank you Thank you further comment counselor Flaherty I 02:01:24.418 --> 02:01:30.343 - I know it's from the fiscal committee. I don't recall any type of decision being communicated that outcome 02:01:30.343 --> 02:01:35.881 - based budgeting was off the table for this year or kind of You know not relevant. We did talk about 02:01:35.881 --> 02:01:41.750 - outcome based budgeting and I've said this in other meetings, but I Don't think that the financial system 02:01:41.750 --> 02:01:47.399 - is the barrier I think it's a desire to have a consistent set of outcomes that are shared between the 02:01:47.399 --> 02:01:52.991 - mayor's administration and the council Structurally, it is very difficult for the council to advance 02:01:52.991 --> 02:01:53.822 - its priorities 02:01:54.082 --> 02:02:00.113 - And I think that just favors a system that kind of is the status quo It is frustrating as a councilmember 02:02:00.113 --> 02:02:05.916 - because it's very hard to Really hold ourselves accountable. I mean the absence the things that we do 02:02:05.916 --> 02:02:11.890 - have are the planning documents and Legislation that we've adopted things like very high-level ambitious 02:02:11.890 --> 02:02:17.750 - outcomes like zero deaths and serious injuries in our streets by 2039 things that are contained in our 02:02:17.750 --> 02:02:22.814 - comprehensive plan and and some transportation plan safe streets for all action plan and 02:02:22.914 --> 02:02:28.493 - There are some other plans that are relevant, but planning and transportation does tend to have a lot 02:02:28.493 --> 02:02:34.182 - of them because they're state-mandated processes or just areas of priority. But if we're gonna actually 02:02:34.182 --> 02:02:39.706 - do something like outcome-based budgeting, it starts with outcomes, and we have to have a process to 02:02:39.706 --> 02:02:45.340 - define what that would look like to develop shared outcomes with, of course, a set of metrics that are 02:02:45.340 --> 02:02:50.974 - sort of consistent in the way we are measuring and thinking about outcomes. None of that's a financial 02:02:50.974 --> 02:02:52.670 - system, and so I just don't... 02:02:53.538 --> 02:03:00.344 - I'm not convinced that that will make any real change at all, and I guess I'm curious, I'll ask some 02:03:00.344 --> 02:03:07.083 - follow-up questions in writing, but just like, is there commitment to this concept or not, and what 02:03:07.083 --> 02:03:14.025 - are the plans to advance, not the technology piece that might underpin this later, but the development 02:03:14.025 --> 02:03:20.764 - of outcomes piece of it. So that's all, thank you. Thank you. Any other comments before we move on? 02:03:20.764 --> 02:03:22.718 - Thank you, Controller McKim. 02:03:23.586 --> 02:03:34.025 - We'll move on now to legal and risk management Margie rice welcome Hi Margie rice corporation council 02:03:34.025 --> 02:03:44.770 - and I'm here to present the budget for both legal and risk The legal department just in general overview 02:03:44.770 --> 02:03:51.934 - the legal department has ten full-time staff. We have eight full-time 02:03:52.322 --> 02:03:59.714 - full-time attorneys, one full-time paralegal, and one full-time administrative staff. I'll talk about 02:03:59.714 --> 02:04:07.250 - this in this slide and the next one as well. Our big budget change in legal is that we are transferring 02:04:07.250 --> 02:04:12.830 - $272,000 from our 03 line, which is our services line, to the risk division. 02:04:13.474 --> 02:04:21.878 - Mentioned in the past few years The fact that we've needed extra money because the annexation litigation 02:04:21.878 --> 02:04:29.881 - has been going on that's wrapping up we that the County residents against annexation is almost over 02:04:29.881 --> 02:04:38.125 - We just have an issue over how much in attorneys fees the city has to pay plaintiff's counsel And that 02:04:38.125 --> 02:04:41.406 - is still pending the case of the waivers 02:04:41.922 --> 02:04:50.158 - The waiver of annexation that case we are still waiting on the State Supreme Court to rule on our petition 02:04:50.158 --> 02:04:58.010 - to transfer That if you remember correctly, we had an October 30th 2025 oral argument and the Supreme 02:04:58.010 --> 02:05:06.401 - Court has yet to rule The other change other changes in this legal budget really are just the step increases 02:05:06.401 --> 02:05:08.094 - and the 2.7. Cola and 02:05:09.602 --> 02:05:15.762 - I know I'm going to try to answer some of the questions that the council asked I haven't provided written 02:05:15.762 --> 02:05:21.690 - answers yet to the court to the council But I'm going to try to answer some of your questions in this 02:05:21.690 --> 02:05:27.502 - presentation I know one of the questions was about our outside legal services. So as I'm mentioning 02:05:27.502 --> 02:05:33.488 - litigation and The annexation litigation I can tell you that in 2025 we spent in our oh three category 02:05:33.488 --> 02:05:39.358 - three hundred and ninety two thousand ninety two dollars and seventy five cents so far this year and 02:05:39.554 --> 02:05:46.285 - In 26, we've only spent a hundred and twenty six thousand seven hundred and fifty eight dollars and 02:05:46.285 --> 02:05:53.285 - eight cents in outside legal services The general overview of the risk division we have three full-time 02:05:53.285 --> 02:06:00.218 - staff a risk manager a director of safety training and one administrative staff person We promoted our 02:06:00.218 --> 02:06:07.218 - administrative staff person to director of safety training after we had somebody retire after more than 02:06:07.218 --> 02:06:08.766 - I think 25 years so we 02:06:09.090 --> 02:06:15.234 - We promoted Jasmine forte plunket to the director of safety and training and we've had an opening in 02:06:15.234 --> 02:06:21.500 - our admin staff For a good number of months, but we've recently offered the Offered it to somebody and 02:06:21.500 --> 02:06:24.542 - she's accepted. So we're just pending HR approval 02:06:25.730 --> 02:06:32.159 - But we are asking to move $272,000 from legal to the risk division to look at and we haven't picked 02:06:32.159 --> 02:06:38.781 - it out yet, but we're looking at buying some technology to some telemetrics to monitor vehicles of Our 02:06:38.781 --> 02:06:45.275 - employees who are driving to check things like speeding how hard they stop if they roll through stop 02:06:45.275 --> 02:06:51.768 - signs driver in attention that is not intended to be big brother ish, but it is intended to keep our 02:06:51.768 --> 02:06:52.990 - employees safe and 02:06:53.282 --> 02:06:58.806 - To reduce accidents again haven't purchased anything We've tested a couple of products that was last 02:06:58.806 --> 02:07:04.330 - year We tested one of the products we liked was by Sam Sarah, which is a publicly traded company But 02:07:04.330 --> 02:07:09.964 - again, there will be a lot more opportunity to have conversation about what we purchase if we purchase 02:07:09.964 --> 02:07:11.550 - Something as we move forward 02:07:12.418 --> 02:07:20.252 - Supply line is being reduced by 64% part of something we negotiated in our asked me agreement was to 02:07:20.252 --> 02:07:28.241 - pay for to give Union employees a stipend for shoes and clothing and so because each union member will 02:07:28.241 --> 02:07:35.997 - get six hundred and forty dollars per the CBA and that's new We typically paid that out of risk and 02:07:35.997 --> 02:07:40.030 - so the controller moved money from our supply lined 02:07:40.162 --> 02:07:47.080 - another line so that that asks me to another line outside our budget so that that could be paid and 02:07:47.080 --> 02:07:53.997 - what's remaining in my budget will pay for non-union members shoes and Winter clothing so that line 02:07:53.997 --> 02:08:00.915 - was eighty two thousand eight eighty three. It will be twenty five thousand three hundred in twenty 02:08:00.915 --> 02:08:07.832 - seven This is just a general overview of our budget see total risk and legal is three million three 02:08:07.832 --> 02:08:10.046 - hundred sixty four thousand and 02:08:10.210 --> 02:08:17.787 - the bulk of that is personnel and then again the services you can In our mostly ro3 category Just some 02:08:17.787 --> 02:08:25.144 - highlights of What legal does legal is not the most exciting department in terms of variety of what 02:08:25.144 --> 02:08:32.647 - we do. We do the same thing every year We handle public records. We handle contracts. I'm going to go 02:08:32.647 --> 02:08:38.974 - through some of these highlights right now as at the end of July 2026 we had received 02:08:39.266 --> 02:08:48.498 - more than 500 public records requests Popularity is increasing because we use next request. I can tell 02:08:48.498 --> 02:08:57.998 - you that I checked yesterday and we were at 588 public records that compares to in 24 we had 570 requests 02:08:57.998 --> 02:09:06.334 - in 25 we had 580 requests so we're surpassing that right now in August the end of August and 02:09:06.914 --> 02:09:14.198 - I am fully aware that not everybody is happy with the way we manage public records, but I'll tell you 02:09:14.198 --> 02:09:21.411 - we are doing our best to increase our response time in 23 it took about 54 days to on average to get 02:09:21.411 --> 02:09:28.695 - records to people in 24 that was reduced to about 36 days in 25 that's about nine point seven one and 02:09:28.695 --> 02:09:33.694 - so far in 26 we're averaging about eight day turn turnaround time and 02:09:37.762 --> 02:09:43.822 - We do a lot of contracts in the city of Bloomington Tell you in 2022. We did eight hundred and five 02:09:43.822 --> 02:09:49.882 - contracts twenty three eight hundred and seventy four twenty four nine hundred and five and Year to 02:09:49.882 --> 02:09:56.063 - date at the time I did the slider was six hundred and as of yesterday was about six hundred and sixty 02:09:56.063 --> 02:10:02.487 - So yeah total for 25 was 1102 and I think we're gonna pass that up So every department we we do contracts 02:10:02.487 --> 02:10:05.214 - for every department and I can tell you that 02:10:05.314 --> 02:10:11.386 - We divide up our time somebody asked the question of how do attorneys spend their time and do we keep 02:10:11.386 --> 02:10:17.577 - track hours or percentages? We don't track hours as frankly one of the benefits of being in a municipal 02:10:17.577 --> 02:10:23.649 - law department as opposed to private practice You're not tracking your hours by every six minutes But 02:10:23.649 --> 02:10:29.662 - I did ask my attorneys to kind of estimate how much time they're spending on things They spend about 02:10:29.662 --> 02:10:35.198 - 80% of their time on their primary departments. That's giving advice. That's doing contracts 02:10:35.362 --> 02:10:42.379 - answering their questions about various laws and and about You know, they all do specialty stuff like 02:10:42.379 --> 02:10:49.465 - litigation a couple of attorneys don't don't do litigation but they other miscellaneous tax tasks take 02:10:49.465 --> 02:10:56.344 - up about the other 20 percent of their time, but And we do as I mentioned litigation we do a lot of 02:10:56.344 --> 02:11:03.293 - litigation right now We have about 16 open litigation cases that that ranges anywhere from ordinance 02:11:03.293 --> 02:11:05.150 - violations to some federal 02:11:05.282 --> 02:11:11.799 - Litigation like the turning point case which is pending in front of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals 02:11:11.799 --> 02:11:18.380 - right now We do that some of that in-house some of that with outside counsel because we buy insurance 02:11:18.380 --> 02:11:24.962 - We also get the benefit of having insurance defense in some cases But our goals are always to protect 02:11:24.962 --> 02:11:28.446 - the city's interests remember that the client for for 02:11:28.578 --> 02:11:35.503 - Our department is the city of Bloomington. It's not any one constituent Within the city it is the city 02:11:35.503 --> 02:11:42.360 - itself and that is a function of the professional rules of conduct So we're very careful to make sure 02:11:42.360 --> 02:11:49.218 - when we're making decisions. We are doing what we think is in our ethical and professional Discretion 02:11:49.218 --> 02:11:55.134 - what is in the best interest of the city? So the risk division they do a lot of work on 02:11:55.458 --> 02:12:02.913 - Reviewing tort claims that come in you can't sue a city for an accident unless you file a tort claim 02:12:02.913 --> 02:12:10.736 - first We manage workers compensation Secure the insurance coverage. We do trainings a lot of other things 02:12:10.736 --> 02:12:18.855 - I can tell you that in year-to-date We've received 31 tort claims. Not all of those will result in litigation 02:12:18.855 --> 02:12:22.398 - in 25 we received a total of 60 tort claims and 02:12:23.138 --> 02:12:30.394 - Somebody asked I think I heard this week somebody asked about workers compensation accidents gear to 02:12:30.394 --> 02:12:37.579 - date. We've had 66 incidents Across the city 42 of those have resulted in claims where we have paid 02:12:37.579 --> 02:12:44.763 - You know, we have paid for medical care or something for somebody who was in it injured We have had 02:12:44.763 --> 02:12:50.654 - spent about a hundred ninety two thousand dollars to date on workers compensation 02:12:53.922 --> 02:12:59.873 - Priorities that goals really are just like everybody else said we want to try to improve Efficiency 02:12:59.873 --> 02:13:05.883 - uniformity we do struggle with lack of technology to help us keep our data But we are trying we want 02:13:05.883 --> 02:13:12.251 - to want to get technology to improve service and to reduce incidents and accidents we also want to provide 02:13:12.251 --> 02:13:14.750 - consistent communication and training and 02:13:16.738 --> 02:13:22.515 - Challenges are just you know, if there are a lot of federal changes with accessibility, that's gonna 02:13:22.515 --> 02:13:28.350 - be a pro and a con We are working on our contract templates to make them accessible But it also makes 02:13:28.350 --> 02:13:34.184 - challenges like we can't just turn on every public record request because not every PRR is accessible 02:13:34.184 --> 02:13:40.018 - at this point We do have a higher volume of work and increased with no increased resources But we are 02:13:40.018 --> 02:13:44.766 - hoping that with technology we can do a little bit better And that's it. Thank you 02:13:46.402 --> 02:13:53.233 - Thank You mr. Rice We'll go to council now for questions Council President sorry, thank you so much. 02:13:53.233 --> 02:14:00.537 - Thank you. So so very much attorney rice similar question to what asked the clerk on how would you estimate 02:14:00.537 --> 02:14:07.774 - as as Corporation Council the sort of workload or a work utilization of City I'm gonna have a very similar 02:14:07.774 --> 02:14:11.358 - answer miss. She and she said I think said nine nine 02:14:11.682 --> 02:14:17.948 - 0.5 out of 10 I'd say we're right there too. We years ago I think the last time I was corporation council 02:14:17.948 --> 02:14:23.859 - We were reduced by a one attorney and we reduced by an admin staff. I know that my staff would love 02:14:23.859 --> 02:14:29.948 - to have more resources One of the things I've thought about is you know Could you reduce special legal 02:14:29.948 --> 02:14:36.096 - services and use that to fund staff person? I don't know that it would equate because there's sometimes 02:14:36.096 --> 02:14:37.278 - like annexation and 02:14:37.538 --> 02:14:44.822 - Kind of a specialty thing bond work. You're always gonna have to pay bond counsel, but we're pretty 02:14:44.822 --> 02:14:52.252 - we're pretty maxed out Again, it's not a 40 week, you know 40 hour week job. We know that people work 02:14:52.252 --> 02:14:59.755 - over but nobody is Absolutely killing themselves working 60 hour work weeks, but we are definitely You 02:14:59.755 --> 02:15:02.814 - know definitely busy but to that end then 02:15:03.458 --> 02:15:11.166 - Thinking about records requests specifically, I mean, with the increase of records requests, does it 02:15:11.166 --> 02:15:14.142 - make sense for those all to live in... 02:15:14.338 --> 02:15:20.101 - and legal I Share some of the concerns that people have said is that legal thinks differently or lawyers 02:15:20.101 --> 02:15:25.700 - think differently than somebody Maybe who has a library science degree or a technology degree I would 02:15:25.700 --> 02:15:31.573 - be open to other ways of doing it One of the challenges we have is that no, you know, we're not increasing 02:15:31.573 --> 02:15:37.281 - staff really anywhere across the city We do devote we have two attorneys who are sharing responsibility 02:15:37.281 --> 02:15:39.422 - to work on public records requests and 02:15:39.554 --> 02:15:44.142 - We have our paralegal working on it just because she's been here a very long time and has a 02:15:44.142 --> 02:15:49.129 - lot of institutional knowledge knows to where where to look for things and We meet in legal weekly. 02:15:49.129 --> 02:15:54.215 - I meet with that staff to go over we open up next request We see what's there we see how close we are 02:15:54.215 --> 02:15:59.102 - to deadlines if we need more time Could you estimate how much time is being spent? Yeah, you know 02:15:59.426 --> 02:16:04.936 - I know that's yeah, you know, I'll tell you I had an attorney last week who said do you mind if I you 02:16:04.936 --> 02:16:10.338 - know Just take Friday to work on kind of getting some of these things taken care of so I'm saying I 02:16:10.338 --> 02:16:15.794 - think that they spend Alex Pratt and Chris Wheeler are the two Attorneys that are doing it Alex that 02:16:15.794 --> 02:16:21.249 - she estimates about 20% of her time. Okay, I think Chris said about the same. Okay, so that's that's 02:16:21.249 --> 02:16:26.813 - that's like a I mean, that's a significant portion of time Yeah, and and we certainly you know, that's 02:16:26.813 --> 02:16:28.542 - the the law is that you have to 02:16:28.866 --> 02:16:35.308 - answer these in a reasonable period of time. And what's reasonable is based on what else you have on 02:16:35.308 --> 02:16:41.814 - your plate at the time. We love to be able to meet people's expectations in terms of getting them the 02:16:41.814 --> 02:16:48.384 - records when they need them. And if we can, we will do that. It's just sometimes you gotta communicate 02:16:48.384 --> 02:16:54.954 - with different people. My biggest fear is that somebody asks for a record that they maybe already have 02:16:54.954 --> 02:16:58.398 - and we in our search don't find it. And so I'm always 02:16:58.498 --> 02:17:05.751 - Really? Emphasizing to our staff ask the staff person who's got the records, but then go check Google 02:17:05.751 --> 02:17:13.004 - to see you know Because I don't want to withhold something that we should be giving to somebody Thank 02:17:13.004 --> 02:17:20.258 - you have a number of questions Councilmember Stasberg then Piedmont Smith and Zulek Thank you, I just 02:17:20.258 --> 02:17:25.662 - have Kind of follow up of what you were talking about with the workers comp 02:17:25.954 --> 02:17:31.561 - claims and the workplace accidents so you guys handle through the risk department like like all of the 02:17:31.561 --> 02:17:37.060 - accidents for Like any city work like including sanitation or anything like that because I know that 02:17:37.060 --> 02:17:42.504 - we got the sanitation the new sanitation trucks to try to reduce those Pardon me. What was that? We 02:17:42.504 --> 02:17:48.057 - got the new sanitation trucks a few years ago to reduce workplace accidents and so but you handle all 02:17:48.057 --> 02:17:50.942 - of them Yeah, so then this year have there just been 02:17:51.138 --> 02:17:58.248 - Year-to-date 66 claims is that what she said 66 incidents? So there's a there's an accident report that 02:17:58.248 --> 02:18:05.425 - comes through if there's an accident Not every employee is injured to the point that they need treatment 02:18:05.425 --> 02:18:12.398 - But we like to know what incidents are happening so that we can then train to the incidents, you know 02:18:12.398 --> 02:18:19.371 - Like hey that was a near miss. Let's train that department. So that doesn't happen again we but we've 02:18:19.371 --> 02:18:20.670 - had 43 cases where 02:18:20.898 --> 02:18:26.828 - This year where there's been some treatment and again running a report and this is where To what every 02:18:26.828 --> 02:18:32.758 - you know kind of a broken record what people have said is, you know We keep data in a lot of different 02:18:32.758 --> 02:18:38.745 - places in a lot of different ways. And so Are we use Highland? One of the reasons we went with Highland 02:18:38.745 --> 02:18:41.278 - recently was a couple years ago. They had a 02:18:41.506 --> 02:18:48.897 - Pretty good technology to help us out, but I can tell you we we ran a report We have four hundred and 02:18:48.897 --> 02:18:56.144 - ninety five thousand dollars starting each year in our workers comp budget. We are self-insured and 02:18:56.144 --> 02:19:03.608 - then we have an excess coverage policy for excess coverage, but We've spent out of that 495 this year. 02:19:03.608 --> 02:19:10.782 - We have we have spent a hundred and ninety two thousand seven ninety one and so That's not frankly 02:19:11.106 --> 02:19:17.352 - A huge amount and we were doing pretty good. I think and and it's all it's not about them. I mean, it's 02:19:17.352 --> 02:19:24.318 - really not about the money It's about the employees and how do we keep them safe and going home at night? and so we 02:19:24.802 --> 02:19:30.271 - We do look at these accidents, and we do regularly follow up. Again, it's Gary Connor, our wrist manager, 02:19:30.271 --> 02:19:35.430 - Jazz, our director of safety and training. We will have our admin. That's gonna be a huge help. And 02:19:35.430 --> 02:19:40.641 - then Taylor Brown is assigned to the wrist division, and he regularly meets, again, weekly to try to 02:19:40.641 --> 02:19:45.904 - look at patterns. I hate to interrupt you, but I only have 40 seconds left. Yeah, sorry. That's okay. 02:19:45.904 --> 02:19:51.476 - I just wanna follow up real fast. So those other incidents where there's not been some kind of a treatment, 02:19:51.476 --> 02:19:52.766 - they probably just like, 02:19:52.930 --> 02:19:58.390 - Weren't might be like a scratch it so in terms of like those incidents like every little thing has to 02:19:58.390 --> 02:20:03.903 - be Reported in terms of like it if we find out that there's something happened and didn't get reported 02:20:03.903 --> 02:20:09.310 - We do ask about that and we're like, hey, we need to know that so we can help you. Okay? Okay, great 02:20:09.310 --> 02:20:14.770 - That's kind of what I wanted to clarify because I think it's actually it feels pretty good that there 02:20:14.770 --> 02:20:20.337 - have only been 66 incidents this year here to date is that like is that a good trend line over the past 02:20:20.337 --> 02:20:21.086 - few years and 02:20:21.186 --> 02:20:29.119 - Yeah, I think we're yeah, I can get the statistics. That's something I can follow up with and tell you 02:20:29.119 --> 02:20:36.820 - what the you know, 25 26 25 Numbers were okay. Yeah, I'll follow up with okay. Thank you comes Mary 02:20:36.820 --> 02:20:44.907 - Piedmont Smith Yes, um, I am a little bit concerned about this telemetric technology that you're seeking 02:20:44.907 --> 02:20:49.374 - to purchase to track city-owned vehicles and the possible 02:20:50.050 --> 02:20:59.347 - surveillance aspects of such technology. Can you tell me more about your own cost benefit analysis of 02:20:59.347 --> 02:21:08.644 - the benefit of reducing risk versus the cost of perhaps tracking people who are just using a Citibank 02:21:08.644 --> 02:21:18.215 - like making a stop on their way to city business? Yeah, we wouldn't the purpose of that technology would 02:21:18.215 --> 02:21:19.582 - not because we 02:21:19.714 --> 02:21:26.624 - Allow employees to make you know de minimis incidental stops when there so that wouldn't be even a violation 02:21:26.624 --> 02:21:32.964 - of policy But we've when we tested some of the technology we could see You know that there were you 02:21:32.964 --> 02:21:39.304 - know, there's maybe a driver early in the morning nodding off or somebody regularly rolling through 02:21:39.304 --> 02:21:43.742 - a stop sign that can be a safety issue for that employee as well as a 02:21:43.842 --> 02:21:49.993 - you know, one of your constituents. A speed is a factor. Often we suspect that speed may be a factor 02:21:49.993 --> 02:21:56.326 - in an accident, but the employee report's not speeding. A few years ago, you know, we had a large piece 02:21:56.326 --> 02:22:02.416 - of equipment being hauled and it went into a roundabout. We thought speed was a factor. We couldn't 02:22:02.416 --> 02:22:08.627 - tell. This technology would allow us to do that. So again, it's not intended to spy on employees, but 02:22:08.627 --> 02:22:13.438 - it is intended to be used for training purposes so we can keep employees safe. 02:22:13.538 --> 02:22:19.996 - But I will say I I know that council is concerned about that. And so we haven't purchased anything We 02:22:19.996 --> 02:22:26.706 - will want to make sure that we go through a process even talking to the union about what we're purchasing 02:22:26.706 --> 02:22:33.101 - Looking at what people's questions and concerns are in addressing those before anything is purchased 02:22:33.101 --> 02:22:39.685 - Yeah, I guess my concern would Increase if this were data that's somehow stored on a cloud and accessed 02:22:39.685 --> 02:22:43.230 - by other communities or insurance agencies or any other 02:22:43.394 --> 02:22:50.572 - Actors. Yeah. Yeah, that's one thing we'll be looking at is where is the data stored? Okay I also want 02:22:50.572 --> 02:22:57.611 - to ask does the increase I Mean, it seems like there's been a big increase in public record requests 02:22:57.611 --> 02:23:04.649 - Does this tell you anything about the transparency of our local government like that? So many people 02:23:04.649 --> 02:23:10.782 - are asking for these things, you know, I'm in a way I'm encouraged by it because people 02:23:11.522 --> 02:23:17.979 - Know that we have a system that's easy to use and so I think that's one of the things that's happening 02:23:17.979 --> 02:23:24.248 - is next request is fairly easy for people to use and So to me, it's a good sign that people are you 02:23:24.248 --> 02:23:30.580 - know, they know we're responsive. We're getting them the records They're asking for them. So I think 02:23:30.580 --> 02:23:36.974 - it's definitely an increase in transparency. I don't I Don't think that it's that it's You know a bad 02:23:36.974 --> 02:23:40.798 - sign. I think it's a good time Thank you That's my resilient 02:23:42.370 --> 02:23:49.514 - And thank you for your presentation. Could you let could you estimate about how much money we've spent 02:23:49.514 --> 02:23:56.449 - on the annexation lawsuit? Yeah, you know I I can get you the full figure from beginning to end But 02:23:56.449 --> 02:24:04.286 - I don't have that with me now I can tell you that in 25 and 26 combined we spent four hundred and seven thousand 02:24:04.418 --> 02:24:11.419 - $840 and 88 cents now there were you know, this started many years ago and so we can get those numbers 02:24:11.419 --> 02:24:18.692 - for you I just don't have them with me but I can tell you in those two years It was a little over 400,000. 02:24:18.692 --> 02:24:25.489 - Thank you. And could you list all of the defendants included on that lawsuit? Not maybe not off the 02:24:25.489 --> 02:24:32.286 - top of my head But council is one of them Yes. Yes Could you elaborate as to why we've only had the 02:24:32.418 --> 02:24:40.539 - executive session related to this matter I Haven't felt like executive sessions have been necessary. 02:24:40.539 --> 02:24:48.821 - But certainly if you if we want one we can schedule one Are you familiar with rule 1.4 of the American 02:24:48.821 --> 02:24:53.726 - Bar Association? So keep clients and informed. Yes, we again 02:24:54.210 --> 02:25:01.375 - Yeah, and and so I when I think about the city as a whole I do think the city includes, you know, the 02:25:01.375 --> 02:25:08.400 - executive branch and the legislative branch Council has obviously their own attorneys and We've you 02:25:08.400 --> 02:25:15.917 - know at any point that we get questions from council attorneys about litigation or annexation we certainly 02:25:15.917 --> 02:25:22.942 - talk to them and try to answer their questions so if this is a request for an executive session and 02:25:23.362 --> 02:25:29.689 - On the annexation litigation we can certainly get that scheduled This is a request to be continuously 02:25:29.689 --> 02:25:35.953 - informed on all matters related to the annexation lawsuit and every time there is a decision made in 02:25:35.953 --> 02:25:42.156 - court Okay, sounds great. And I think we look forward and we've had a great relationship with Larry 02:25:42.156 --> 02:25:48.420 - and with former attorneys and I'm looking forward to working with Whoever it is that you hire going. 02:25:48.420 --> 02:25:52.638 - Thank you. Thank you very much. Yeah Further questions from counsel 02:25:53.186 --> 02:26:05.121 - Councilmember Ruff Council Resulix Inquiry about the annexation litigation. So you're the first slide 02:26:05.121 --> 02:26:17.174 - says that It's nearly over and annexation litigation is nearly over Is it nearly over because It's run 02:26:17.174 --> 02:26:21.854 - its course there's no other places that 02:26:22.114 --> 02:26:31.929 - to go to make a decision to take it another step or is it over because the administration has decided 02:26:31.929 --> 02:26:41.744 - enough is enough I I think it's not the latter so the we did not prevail in the trial with the county 02:26:41.744 --> 02:26:47.806 - residents against annexation so that ran its course the waiver 02:26:47.938 --> 02:26:54.630 - Issue is still pending before the Supreme Court. We're waiting to see if they will take the case up 02:26:54.630 --> 02:27:01.456 - It was a petition to transfer so we're waiting on that ruling and depending upon how that goes It may 02:27:01.456 --> 02:27:08.416 - actually if if we were to receive a favorable ruling, you know areas So 1a and 1b are done because that 02:27:08.416 --> 02:27:14.974 - was the the trial that we lost Aries 1c 2 and 3 could be annexed if we get a favorable ruling and 02:27:15.394 --> 02:27:21.738 - In that case and so we would continue in that regard and then Aries four and five would depend upon 02:27:21.738 --> 02:27:28.081 - if there were Remonstrances and if there were we'd have to decide at that point if we were going to 02:27:28.081 --> 02:27:34.615 - go forward with a trial so the first case CREA is over just by a function of ran its course and we did 02:27:34.615 --> 02:27:41.150 - not prevail and We're waiting on the second one. So we are continuing to pursue it But we just are now 02:27:41.150 --> 02:27:44.702 - waiting for the court So so we're quick to follow up so 02:27:45.410 --> 02:27:55.752 - Depending on some of the outcomes There if there was pushback then from those affected who were opposed 02:27:55.752 --> 02:28:05.895 - even though the city got favorable ruling they might We might be drugged further into so it You can't 02:28:05.895 --> 02:28:13.950 - really say and against annexation litigation is nearly over It's I think the the 02:28:14.498 --> 02:28:20.392 - bulk of the you know, the CRA case is over so that's that's more than half of it is over and and You 02:28:20.392 --> 02:28:26.403 - know again by function of law if those waivers are deemed to be you know waivers of remonstrance We're 02:28:26.403 --> 02:28:32.531 - not invalidated by the state law and they say hey, those are still good waivers three of the areas would 02:28:32.531 --> 02:28:38.659 - would have we would have had the numbers to annex them and so that would happen as a matter of law those 02:28:38.659 --> 02:28:43.678 - would be annexed and so then the only decision would be those areas four and five and 02:28:44.162 --> 02:28:50.380 - And and whether and again, you'd have to wait to see if there were monstrous happen And then if there 02:28:50.380 --> 02:28:56.781 - were whether it was worth the while to go for or with a trial So I to me when I look at the percentages, 02:28:56.781 --> 02:29:02.877 - I think a lot of it's behind us You know and it's it's it's out of our hands if the waivers are are 02:29:02.877 --> 02:29:09.095 - are You know if the state law was okay, and they could have validated waivers then we're not going to 02:29:09.095 --> 02:29:11.838 - be able to annex one one C two and three and 02:29:13.282 --> 02:29:23.129 - Okay. Thank you. Yeah other questions I had one a constituent was you know is concerned about the public 02:29:23.129 --> 02:29:32.600 - records requests and Why? Maybe you've addressed this but could you just restate why why wouldn't if 02:29:32.600 --> 02:29:41.790 - you're going to provide public records requests Why wouldn't you issue it to the public? Yeah and 02:29:41.954 --> 02:29:48.819 - Not only for transparency, but just to prevent Public records requests for the same item, right? I do 02:29:48.819 --> 02:29:55.751 - think that's makes logical sense and this is gonna this is a nice segue to when you talk to the IT but 02:29:55.751 --> 02:30:02.683 - about accessibility so if we were to turn on all of those public records requests and make them public 02:30:02.683 --> 02:30:09.414 - facing that our next request they would have to be accessible per the federal law and we don't have 02:30:09.414 --> 02:30:10.558 - the resources to 02:30:10.690 --> 02:30:16.541 - At this point in time to make all of that archived material accessible. They aren't they haven't been 02:30:16.541 --> 02:30:22.507 - fully accessible So we would need to make that if that is something that the council Felt was important 02:30:22.507 --> 02:30:28.359 - and wanted to do you could certainly put your you know money towards that and then dedicate resources 02:30:28.359 --> 02:30:32.030 - for us to get that done We don't currently have the time or the 02:30:32.706 --> 02:30:38.628 - Human resources to do that not that we're opposed to it. It'd be fantastic Because we could then say 02:30:38.628 --> 02:30:44.667 - hey look there if somebody could look through it and peruse it and see what's available It's just that 02:30:44.667 --> 02:30:50.531 - turning them on means we're gonna need to make them accessible and there are a lot of them that are 02:30:50.531 --> 02:30:56.453 - not maybe Okay, so maybe this is a naive question, but you you've got the material and you can't put 02:30:56.453 --> 02:30:58.622 - you need human hours to evaluate and 02:30:58.978 --> 02:31:05.257 - Determined to accessible documents and you know a lot of them were scanned as PDFs or whatever and they'll 02:31:05.257 --> 02:31:11.125 - have to be Turned into accessible documents and and again, it's not an impossible thing to do. It's 02:31:11.125 --> 02:31:17.111 - just a matter of time and resources Okay. Well, maybe this question for mr. Dietz director Dietz when 02:31:17.111 --> 02:31:23.155 - it comes time for IT Okay, seeing no other questions then well, mr. Chair, yeah did have another quick 02:31:23.155 --> 02:31:25.502 - question if that's okay I haven't asked 02:31:26.018 --> 02:31:34.207 - Lot of questions during the whole budget process. I was wondering if I might ask another quick one, 02:31:34.207 --> 02:31:42.477 - please make it quick. Yeah Do we anticipate a much? expense legal cost in the coming budget year for 02:31:42.477 --> 02:31:50.912 - eminent domain type activities Not that I'm aware of So we don't have projects. Are you thinking maybe 02:31:50.912 --> 02:31:55.006 - things like CB use project on the waterway or the 02:31:55.554 --> 02:32:04.122 - Creek Restoration or I guess that's that's still in early in stages right the studies. Yeah, I'm talking 02:32:04.122 --> 02:32:12.527 - maybe about some of the transportation type projects I I guess I I'm not aware of a lot of we the most 02:32:12.527 --> 02:32:20.851 - recent thing that we've done in terms of right-of-way acquisition was High Street and we did a lot of 02:32:20.851 --> 02:32:23.870 - acquisition now not a lot of eminent 02:32:24.290 --> 02:32:30.026 - Domain in the sense that we had to go to trial and fight with people over that But we did acquisition 02:32:30.026 --> 02:32:35.874 - so there may be right-of-way Acquisition and I may be being too technical you may be talking about just 02:32:35.874 --> 02:32:41.779 - right-of-way Acquisition not in a domain when I think of them in a domain I think somebody's never gonna 02:32:41.779 --> 02:32:47.459 - sell me their property and we're gonna have to push this to a trial and That rarely happens. Yeah, I 02:32:47.459 --> 02:32:48.190 - was actually 02:32:48.546 --> 02:32:58.259 - Talking about both. Yeah, you're right. There's I understand. Yeah, we have a You get the different 02:32:58.259 --> 02:33:08.166 - chat. All right. Thank you. Yeah, okay Seeing no other questions. We will go now to the public anyone 02:33:08.166 --> 02:33:18.462 - in chambers Mr. Allen anyone online no Okay Come back to counsel for comment on legal and risk management 02:33:23.842 --> 02:33:34.027 - Seeing none Councilman Smith Yeah, I just want to follow up on a question I asked about the increase 02:33:34.027 --> 02:33:44.313 - in the number of public records requests I don't know the reason but I think it's worth reflecting on 02:33:44.313 --> 02:33:53.086 - what Depending on if there's any trends in what is being asked for It would be wise to 02:33:53.282 --> 02:34:02.065 - Look at ways we can preempt these public record requests by being more transparent in the first place 02:34:02.065 --> 02:34:10.848 - But I don't know if Director if corporation council rice actually heard that since she was but that's 02:34:10.848 --> 02:34:18.942 - okay It was not a question. It was just saying I think that it would be worthwhile to look at 02:34:19.330 --> 02:34:26.504 - Ways of preempting public records requests since there seems to be an influx and a greater number of 02:34:26.504 --> 02:34:33.607 - them Maybe there's a way to preempt them by being more transparent about things that they're asking 02:34:33.607 --> 02:34:40.994 - about in the first place. That's all thank you I agree and I think that it seems to be a priority among 02:34:40.994 --> 02:34:47.102 - some constituents that and some commonality that public records requests of a certain 02:34:48.194 --> 02:34:57.220 - Topic or something seems to be shared in terms of interest. So we should try to Aim to make it accessible 02:34:57.220 --> 02:35:06.160 - to public Okay, thank you for your presentation and We will now move on to our last item. No, I'm sorry. 02:35:06.160 --> 02:35:14.334 - We have two more human resources department director paycheck welcome Yes, IT is very very last 02:35:17.506 --> 02:35:25.857 - Last but not least Good evening sharp paycheck HR director sharing our 2027 budget proposal. Thank you 02:35:25.857 --> 02:35:34.127 - for this opportunity HR drives the mayor's organizational priorities and partners with departments to 02:35:34.127 --> 02:35:42.397 - meet workforce needs through talent management compensation and benefits and employee relations While 02:35:42.397 --> 02:35:46.046 - we don't directly deliver on every city goal 02:35:46.274 --> 02:35:53.137 - We do support the staff who do helping foster a workplace environment where everyone feels welcomed 02:35:53.137 --> 02:36:00.274 - and valued The police department is a good example of HR in action We're supporting marketing campaigns 02:36:00.274 --> 02:36:07.411 - and hiring events to help them achieve their staffing goals This budget season department heads express 02:36:07.411 --> 02:36:14.686 - excitement about full or nearly full staffing better applicants that are of quantity and also quality and 02:36:15.906 --> 02:36:25.085 - the impact of newly negotiated union contracts Perhaps these trends reflect HR outcomes and as we have 02:36:25.085 --> 02:36:33.996 - more mature advanced technology We can better assess HR contributions and a return on investment HR 02:36:33.996 --> 02:36:42.462 - has a full staff of 10 plus two new interns overall HR's budget increased 4% for next year and 02:36:43.138 --> 02:36:51.775 - Personnel services increase 8% mainly from Cola and tenure and recently reclassifying a position to 02:36:51.775 --> 02:37:00.844 - talent acquisition specialist supplies increased 54% but that's a relatively small budget the percentage 02:37:00.844 --> 02:37:04.990 - may look more significant than it really is and 02:37:05.538 --> 02:37:14.343 - The increase is about $8,000, but 4,000 of that is for technology, like laptops. And the rest supports 02:37:14.343 --> 02:37:23.576 - increased staff and also enhanced employee recognition programming. Other services decreased 7%, reflecting 02:37:23.576 --> 02:37:33.150 - lower spending in some of our operating areas, and also we reduced reliance on some of our outsourced services. 02:37:35.938 --> 02:37:45.034 - short the 2027 budget stays lean on operations while investing in people technology and Recognition 02:37:45.034 --> 02:37:54.129 - and that will tee us up for our priorities for next year Before I share 2027 priorities I'd like to 02:37:54.129 --> 02:38:03.134 - highlight our progress this year in 2026 we advanced high-performing government through one HR and 02:38:03.970 --> 02:38:11.635 - That is our approach to a more consistent HR experience citywide Every department and every employee 02:38:11.635 --> 02:38:19.756 - has different needs, but they all rely on HR one HR Supports the city by standardizing policies Optimizing 02:38:19.756 --> 02:38:27.497 - people and technology and building a base for continuous improvement Next I'll share some examples of 02:38:27.497 --> 02:38:32.126 - HR one HR and practice so that council can understand we are 02:38:32.226 --> 02:38:41.201 - with intention in human resources Employee relations and operations continue strengthening consistency 02:38:41.201 --> 02:38:50.176 - across the city They updated the employee handbook launched the supervisor brief continue lead cohorts 02:38:50.176 --> 02:38:56.798 - trainings for managers and they coordinated the pay action committee with a 02:38:57.218 --> 02:39:06.084 - HR and ITS office of the controller and Department HR partners one HR Department described that effort 02:39:06.084 --> 02:39:14.692 - related to time track and payroll as They said wow the changes exceeded our expectations Talent and 02:39:14.692 --> 02:39:23.473 - engagement improve recruitment speed and reach while continuing to strengthen onboarding and employee 02:39:23.473 --> 02:39:25.022 - engagement events 02:39:25.666 --> 02:39:32.763 - Coffee with the mayor received positive feedback along with some suggestions on how we can make the 02:39:32.763 --> 02:39:39.931 - event even more enjoyable. One attendee at the wellness fair shared how much they appreciated having 02:39:39.931 --> 02:39:47.170 - all of the vendors and answers in one place, no website portals or long phone calls needed, and asked 02:39:47.170 --> 02:39:54.622 - us to keep that event going. The red carpet employee appreciation lunch is coming up on October the 6th. 02:39:55.234 --> 02:40:03.448 - We want that to be our greatest employee event yet and we invite council to join us Total rewards is 02:40:03.448 --> 02:40:11.906 - now fully staffed they focused on both compensation and benefits Being fully staffed this team has been 02:40:11.906 --> 02:40:19.550 - able to strengthen audits data integrity benefits administration and system functionality and 02:40:20.194 --> 02:40:29.122 - A recent win, they partnered with ITS to separate medical and dental deductions so employees can elect 02:40:29.122 --> 02:40:37.876 - them independently in 2027. In response to Council Member Asari's questions, I also reviewed several 02:40:37.876 --> 02:40:46.718 - HR performance measures. Time to fill has dropped to 72 days compared to 104 days average for some of 02:40:46.718 --> 02:40:48.798 - our peer organizations. 02:40:49.058 --> 02:40:57.303 - Turnover is currently six point three eight percent year-to-date and that is down from fourteen percent 02:40:57.303 --> 02:41:05.389 - in 2023 Those are encouraging and indicators But I want to be careful. I don't want to overstate what 02:41:05.389 --> 02:41:13.476 - that data tells us until the end of the year Plus as you've heard our technology our technology still 02:41:13.476 --> 02:41:17.598 - limits some HR reporting Next year HR will build on 02:41:17.858 --> 02:41:27.036 - The one HR foundation focusing on support standardization and technology Our first priority strengthen 02:41:27.036 --> 02:41:36.660 - workforce well-being and engagement Focuses on support for managers leadership development and the employee 02:41:36.660 --> 02:41:45.928 - experience which could be assessed through turnover absence benefit utilization and event participation 02:41:45.928 --> 02:41:47.710 - our second priority 02:41:47.842 --> 02:41:54.658 - advance one HR policies and procedures and practices brings more standardization across departments 02:41:54.658 --> 02:42:01.611 - which could be assessed through progressive discipline grievances and policy documentation completion 02:42:01.611 --> 02:42:08.496 - our third priority optimize and standardize optimize and modernize HR systems advances technology to 02:42:08.496 --> 02:42:16.062 - reduce manual work and strengthens data that could be assessed through productivity era and accuracy rates and 02:42:16.930 --> 02:42:25.414 - Want to reiterate some data is still hard to assess and report today So I don't want to over promise 02:42:25.414 --> 02:42:34.234 - and under deliver, but we hope that a new HR is will help close that gap In 2027 HR's priorities support 02:42:34.234 --> 02:42:43.306 - broader city goals positioning the city as a high-performing employer of choice through a shared commitment 02:42:43.306 --> 02:42:46.750 - to organizational excellence for example 02:42:47.394 --> 02:42:55.744 - If engineering is hiring a project manager for capital infrastructure work, HR clearly is not providing 02:42:55.744 --> 02:43:04.095 - technical expertise for construction activities to guide regulatory compliance. We don't even know what 02:43:04.095 --> 02:43:12.285 - that means. But my point is that we don't have to be an expert in all things. We can just stay in our 02:43:12.285 --> 02:43:17.022 - lane, and we can do that well. Our role is to help attract 02:43:17.186 --> 02:43:24.957 - hire, and retain the right person, offer competitive compensation and benefits, and provide the policies 02:43:24.957 --> 02:43:32.432 - and support that employee and their manager need to succeed. The same relationships exist across the 02:43:32.432 --> 02:43:40.203 - city, rather employees are working on transportation, asset maintenance, homelessness, housing, economic 02:43:40.203 --> 02:43:46.494 - development, climate, or public safety. This is how OneHR connects shared priorities 02:43:46.850 --> 02:43:54.491 - We strengthen the workforce behind the work. Next year, we'll keep showing up for employees wherever 02:43:54.491 --> 02:44:02.434 - they are at the city, turning priorities into meaningful connections and sustainable progress. To close, 02:44:02.434 --> 02:44:10.301 - I'd like to recognize everyone who helped lay the One HR Foundation in 2026, and those who will partner 02:44:10.301 --> 02:44:16.126 - with us to ensure the right people are in the right roles at the right time. 02:44:16.706 --> 02:44:23.108 - I want to thank the HR team. They are a group of skilled, experienced, and dedicated individuals who 02:44:23.108 --> 02:44:29.763 - make this work possible. I also want to thank the administration and department heads for their support. 02:44:29.763 --> 02:44:36.418 - Thank you to all city employees for your respect and patience as we build trust through fair, consistent 02:44:36.418 --> 02:44:42.882 - practices. And finally, thank you to the council for your past support and your future consideration. 02:44:42.882 --> 02:44:46.622 - And I welcome any questions. Thank you, Director Paycheck. 02:44:46.722 --> 02:44:53.771 - Are there questions? Yes, here's one Council president sorry First for your wonderful leadership and 02:44:53.771 --> 02:45:01.028 - just for all the patience and time that you always give us and for this is now I know seventh time that 02:45:01.028 --> 02:45:08.217 - you had to talk to us in a couple of weeks So thank you and I realize as I'm asking this question This 02:45:08.217 --> 02:45:15.614 - might actually more be a question for the controller, but I'm interested in in the methods by which we do 02:45:15.714 --> 02:45:21.430 - the COLA increases, and so do those go to each department sort of in a bulk fund? Do we sort of attach 02:45:21.430 --> 02:45:27.367 - those to positions themselves and those increase? And what type of flexibility do we have? So specifically 02:45:27.367 --> 02:45:33.250 - I'm looking at what it would look like in the city, especially because we have some vacancies and there's 02:45:33.250 --> 02:45:38.799 - some seasonal workers and things like that. What it would look like to, for example, reduce it from 02:45:38.799 --> 02:45:44.348 - 2.7 to 2.5, but then they still have the same sort of bulk money they can distribute amongst people 02:45:44.348 --> 02:45:45.680 - who already work there. 02:45:45.680 --> 02:45:56.016 - That's a possibility or if it has to be tied to specific positions. I would definitely punt that question 02:45:56.016 --> 02:46:06.158 - to controller Well, I mean I'm not sure I can I can answer all of it first of all where the number came 02:46:06.158 --> 02:46:11.326 - from the 2.7% we use the December December urban CPI 02:46:11.746 --> 02:46:17.702 - I'm asking is just about what flexibility do we have with because because council gets a chance to make 02:46:17.702 --> 02:46:23.543 - amendments to the budget efforts efforts Proposed and should we want to reduce that we can't increase 02:46:23.543 --> 02:46:29.499 - it But should we want to reduce that what flexibility do departments have if that were to be decreased? 02:46:29.499 --> 02:46:35.284 - Our practice as far as I know I'm gonna have to defer to people who have been here a lot longer than 02:46:35.284 --> 02:46:37.918 - I have is to apply that to every position and 02:46:38.146 --> 02:46:46.926 - Including including vacant positions, right? So we don't have a Okay, and we and do we have any flexibility 02:46:46.926 --> 02:46:55.136 - in in that regard I Mean the short answer is yes, but that would be a pretty major Change that would 02:46:55.136 --> 02:47:03.672 - have to be kind of rolled out thoughtfully to make sure I think that if you're talking about like giving 02:47:03.672 --> 02:47:05.054 - certain people a 02:47:05.250 --> 02:47:12.723 - Full amount and other people a lower amount. I mean, that's certainly something to be done But it would 02:47:12.723 --> 02:47:19.837 - need to be done in a very thoughtful way, of course in a way to not create inequities Right. Okay. 02:47:19.837 --> 02:47:27.167 - Thank you. Thank you councilmember Stusburg If you could you know, one of the things I've been asking 02:47:27.167 --> 02:47:31.550 - about often is the other services and charges for things and 02:47:31.650 --> 02:47:38.977 - I was noting your other services and charges, which is budgeted a little over 300,000 for this year 02:47:38.977 --> 02:47:46.451 - and a little under for 2027. And very little of it has been expended as of quarter two. So I was just 02:47:46.451 --> 02:47:49.822 - kind of wondering what that line is used for. 02:47:50.850 --> 02:47:59.233 - So other services include like some of our Consulting budgets that are reserved. We also have it for 02:47:59.233 --> 02:48:07.617 - Training so for our staff for some of the systems that we have now like NeoGov and Tyler and it also 02:48:07.617 --> 02:48:16.166 - includes other things in that other services category like our telephone a postage travel printing and 02:48:16.166 --> 02:48:19.486 - advertising for I specifically mean the 02:48:19.746 --> 02:48:31.155 - Line and other services and charges that's labeled other services and charges. So it's like the other 02:48:31.155 --> 02:48:42.339 - within the other What is the dollar amount again it's specifically for 2027 it's 292 540 one moment 02:48:42.339 --> 02:48:46.366 - It's line 53 53 990 That one is for 02:48:52.226 --> 02:49:07.840 - Give me one moment, I'm sorry. That's okay. That is the one that is, I actually believe other services 02:49:07.840 --> 02:49:20.574 - and charges is reduced because we were able to bring some of our services in-house. 02:49:20.738 --> 02:49:28.871 - An example of what that could have included, for example, at one point we had a Crow contract for like 02:49:28.871 --> 02:49:36.767 - $300,000. That could have been a bulk of it. And so we haven't used that yet because we haven't had 02:49:36.767 --> 02:49:44.742 - a need for a consultant like Crow. But we have used other consultants such as Robert Half to come in 02:49:44.742 --> 02:49:47.742 - to do some consulting for our payroll 02:49:48.194 --> 02:49:55.584 - Pay-action efforts, so I believe and I can double-check but I believe that specific Budget line that 02:49:55.584 --> 02:50:03.121 - you are talking about is related to our consulting dollars Okay, and I guess the larger question which 02:50:03.121 --> 02:50:10.511 - I don't know if you can answer in 15 seconds or maybe a controlling question controller question why 02:50:10.511 --> 02:50:14.462 - aren't those consulting charges under consultants and 02:50:14.914 --> 02:50:22.280 - Further in 53 170 and instead there and other services and charges And I can follow up with that Since 02:50:22.280 --> 02:50:29.645 - I'm out of time, I'll follow up with that in the written stuff. I'm just kind of curious and the other 02:50:29.645 --> 02:50:37.154 - services I'm sorry. I have Assistant directory Hillary Kanye here. We're trying to answer your question. 02:50:37.154 --> 02:50:43.518 - We may have to follow up with you one of those account lines also includes the money for 02:50:43.874 --> 02:50:51.110 - education reimbursement So that could be a part of those dollars as well Okay, I'll follow that up with 02:50:51.110 --> 02:50:58.346 - the written questions. Honestly, probably not tomorrow Probably be Friday before I managed to get back. 02:50:58.346 --> 02:51:05.303 - It's okay. Thank you. And I'm sorry. I thought it was fully prepared I have everything printed here 02:51:05.303 --> 02:51:12.330 - is like I'm gonna be able to answer all these questions this year. So It's all good. Thank you a for 02:51:12.330 --> 02:51:13.374 - effort, right? 02:51:14.914 --> 02:51:23.900 - Yes, thank you for the presentation In your memo you talk about that the goal for 2027 is to develop 02:51:23.900 --> 02:51:32.975 - a sustainable HR model Is that does that refer to the one HR is that yes? Yes and so what that really 02:51:32.975 --> 02:51:41.694 - refers to is and I realize prior to me HR did a lot of great work but when I came into the door I 02:51:42.114 --> 02:51:48.908 - I don't feel like I was handed a playbook, like an actual documented system of how things are 02:51:48.908 --> 02:51:56.497 - done consistently within human resources. And so, this year, we have been spending a lot of time looking 02:51:56.497 --> 02:51:59.966 - closely at all of the services that we provide, 02:52:00.098 --> 02:52:06.467 - All of the steps that are involved who the key players are so that we can assess we actually did like 02:52:06.467 --> 02:52:13.086 - an internal assessment where we graded ourselves And then we look to see where some of the best practices 02:52:13.086 --> 02:52:15.646 - are to see how we can most closely align 02:52:15.714 --> 02:52:22.376 - with some of the best practices in human resources. One HR is looking at how we do things to try to 02:52:22.376 --> 02:52:29.638 - make things as consistent as possible across the city. It shouldn't matter if you're onboarded in sanitation 02:52:29.638 --> 02:52:36.834 - or if you come through utilities or if you are in the animal shelter. We should have very similar policies, 02:52:36.834 --> 02:52:38.366 - procedures, practices. 02:52:38.594 --> 02:52:46.988 - for everybody to have a similar HR experience. And I got some coaching from Director Dietz that if you 02:52:46.988 --> 02:52:55.138 - want to best prepare yourself for a new system in 2027, the best thing that you can do is make sure 02:52:55.138 --> 02:53:03.451 - that all of your policies and practices, your procedures are as concise, as accurate, and streamlined 02:53:03.451 --> 02:53:07.934 - as you can possibly get them. And then, that will help 02:53:08.290 --> 02:53:20.469 - puts you in a better position for when you implement a new system. Very precise. Thank you. Other questions 02:53:20.469 --> 02:53:31.745 - for Human Resources Department budget? Okay, seeing none, then we will go to the public. The public 02:53:31.745 --> 02:53:36.030 - would like to comment. Anyone online? 02:53:36.930 --> 02:53:48.623 - Nobody online. Okay back to council for final comment Okay, seeing none, thank you director paycheck 02:53:48.623 --> 02:54:00.662 - very very appreciate Okay, our last item is information and technology services department ITS Director 02:54:00.662 --> 02:54:04.830 - Dietz You can end our party tonight 02:54:04.930 --> 02:54:16.090 - Yes on a high note good evening council I Do I do appreciate the opportunity to be The last presenter 02:54:16.090 --> 02:54:27.250 - on the last night of the budget hearings when we're all at the peak of our faculties I hope that pays 02:54:27.250 --> 02:54:29.438 - off for all of us I 02:54:30.146 --> 02:54:39.036 - Thank You councilmember Rallo, I'm Rick Dietz director of the city's information and technology services 02:54:39.036 --> 02:54:47.502 - department Also known as ITS and I appreciate the opportunity here to talk with you and present our 02:54:47.502 --> 02:54:56.222 - 2027 budget proposal for your consideration And ITS our mission is to provide the IT services tools to 02:54:56.322 --> 02:55:03.733 - Training and resources necessary to maintain mission-critical city systems empower city staff to excel 02:55:03.733 --> 02:55:11.000 - in their work to expand digital opportunity in our community and electronically engage our residents 02:55:11.000 --> 02:55:13.662 - in their own government ITS provides 02:55:13.794 --> 02:55:22.598 - broad range of services across seven activity areas administration innovation process Improvement and 02:55:22.598 --> 02:55:32.006 - data services enterprise applications management geographic information systems IT infrastructure technology 02:55:32.006 --> 02:55:39.774 - support and training and Broadband and digital opportunity initiatives other cross-border 02:55:39.938 --> 02:55:48.895 - cutting activity areas for ITS include our work with transparency, open government with digital 02:55:48.895 --> 02:55:58.224 - accessibility, cyber security, and IT procurement. Our work in ITS is as much about people as it is 02:55:58.224 --> 02:56:04.382 - about technology. We have a great team of creative technologists. 02:56:04.482 --> 02:56:12.562 - with 21 full-time and one permanent part-time staff member and ITS and I'd like to take this opportunity 02:56:12.562 --> 02:56:20.257 - to acknowledge and commend the ITS team for their continuing hard work and excellent supporting our 02:56:20.257 --> 02:56:27.952 - public and staff customers So what's happening in the ITS budget for 2027? Looks like it's starting 02:56:27.952 --> 02:56:31.646 - to rain Or it sounds like it's starting to rain 02:56:31.810 --> 02:56:42.299 - The overall budget change from 2026 is seven hundred nineteen thousand eight hundred ninety three dollars. 02:56:42.299 --> 02:56:52.397 - This is largely due to investment in the ERP enterprise resource Procure I'm sorry enterprise research 02:56:52.397 --> 02:56:56.318 - management, but primarily the financial 02:56:56.674 --> 02:57:07.746 - system component of that, but also those expenses are from newly budgeted accessibility and cybersecurity 02:57:07.746 --> 02:57:15.998 - tools, as well as general inflation that we've experienced in recurring costs. 02:57:16.354 --> 02:57:24.031 - Other elements of the budget you should be aware of the telecommunications non-reverting fund which 02:57:24.031 --> 02:57:31.093 - drives its revenue from cable franchise fees continues to decline so we need to shift shift 02:57:31.093 --> 02:57:38.770 - our Appropriations and expenses away from that and then we have a number of budgets I would say you 02:57:38.770 --> 02:57:40.766 - know transfers across the 02:57:41.186 --> 02:57:49.288 - Funds from general to digital opportunity from telecom to 80 lit and the full funding of the 02:57:49.288 --> 02:57:58.261 - fiber connectivity fund all of which are essentially budget neutral transfers between funds But before 02:57:58.261 --> 02:58:06.972 - we dig too deeply into our 2027 budget Let's look at the 2020 at 2026 and the work we've been doing 02:58:06.972 --> 02:58:10.718 - over the last years Here's some highlights 02:58:11.394 --> 02:58:21.734 - It's been a busy year for us thus far Our tech support team has updated the council chambers monitor 02:58:21.734 --> 02:58:28.286 - replaced copier unit citywide moved dozens of staff to and from 02:58:28.450 --> 02:58:37.637 - West showers from City Hall as well as replace dozens of computer workstations our GIS team in addition 02:58:37.637 --> 02:58:46.471 - to winning this year's IGIC excellence and GIS award work diligently to map accessibility standards 02:58:46.471 --> 02:58:52.478 - and create new maps our infrastructure team completed an enterprise 02:58:52.610 --> 02:59:00.004 - a voiceover IP phone system, deployment, deployed critical infrastructure to the IU data center, and 02:59:00.004 --> 02:59:07.470 - updated our network capabilities and facilities, including some areas of west showers. Our enterprise 02:59:07.470 --> 02:59:14.791 - apps team has deployed dozens of online business licenses, permits, plans, code cases, and benefits 02:59:14.791 --> 02:59:21.086 - applications, as well as updated our onboard and time track and other critical tools. 02:59:21.698 --> 02:59:31.264 - And our team also deployed across the board accessibility training tools, scanning, new business processes, 02:59:31.264 --> 02:59:40.209 - improving accessibility and efficiency across the organization. And this work continues to this day. 02:59:40.209 --> 02:59:49.598 - The next slide, I'll show our main areas of activity in 2027. Those include cybersecurity, accessibility, 02:59:49.858 --> 02:59:59.589 - Standing up presence at the IU data center the enterprise ERP system which includes Financial and HR 02:59:59.589 --> 03:00:06.622 - components as well as broadband and digital inclusion and cyber security 03:00:06.786 --> 03:00:16.112 - This is a consistent and constant focus for us in ITS. In the 2027 budget, we're expanding tool usage 03:00:16.112 --> 03:00:25.895 - and invest in several new systems and support services that have been recommended and partially subsidized 03:00:25.895 --> 03:00:31.838 - by the state of Indiana Office of Technology. And accessibility. 03:00:31.970 --> 03:00:39.496 - Over the past few years we've coordinated City and city departments have engaged in significant process 03:00:39.496 --> 03:00:46.733 - changes and tool adoptions to improve digital accessibility At the city you heard that mentioned by 03:00:46.733 --> 03:00:54.693 - a number of my colleagues earlier this evening this work continues and this budget reflects the incorporation 03:00:54.693 --> 03:00:59.614 - of new accessibility systems and support into our annual budget and 03:01:00.610 --> 03:01:08.865 - on Data center work in 2026. We deployed Networking and storage hardware to the IU data center, which 03:01:08.865 --> 03:01:17.524 - not now serves as our primary data center for city IT operations I want to congratulate our infrastructure 03:01:17.524 --> 03:01:26.750 - team for making this long-term vision a reality in 2027 will consolidate additional data center operations at the 03:01:26.882 --> 03:01:36.510 - At I use data center and will begin to fully lever redundant ISP and fiber route connections 03:01:39.842 --> 03:01:49.277 - HR and financial systems were planning major upgrades and investments in 2027 these updates will increase 03:01:49.277 --> 03:01:58.267 - the capacity of these foundational operation operating systems and increase the efficient efficiency 03:01:58.267 --> 03:02:02.718 - of human resources and final financial operations 03:02:04.642 --> 03:02:14.709 - Broadband and digital opportunity we can continue to support and coordinate city broadband activities 03:02:14.709 --> 03:02:24.677 - Including the citywide Deployment of fiber with meridian and M Street fiber will continue to support 03:02:24.677 --> 03:02:29.118 - digital inclusion activities through through 03:02:29.922 --> 03:02:37.805 - community engagement and the award of grants to local organizations to help bridge the digital divide. 03:02:37.805 --> 03:02:45.765 - But beyond these areas of focus, we do see a number of challenges and opportunities in the coming year. 03:02:45.765 --> 03:02:53.572 - Of course, budget constraints, as Comptroller McKim has mentioned, we're working in an environment of 03:02:53.572 --> 03:02:59.006 - funding uncertainty with state taxations, plus as I mentioned earlier, 03:02:59.298 --> 03:03:07.714 - specifically for ITS, the continuing decline in telecommunications non-reverting fund revenue. We have 03:03:07.714 --> 03:03:15.967 - high demand for training, support, and services on an enterprise-wide basis that we continue to work 03:03:15.967 --> 03:03:24.383 - to meet, but we know that that demand is high and increasing. We also have demand for new tools across 03:03:24.383 --> 03:03:25.854 - the organization. 03:03:26.114 --> 03:03:33.946 - in areas of cyber security accessibility, but also just in general operating areas of our various sister 03:03:33.946 --> 03:03:41.406 - city departments. As mentioned, we do have a number of transfers that I do want to highlight. We've 03:03:41.406 --> 03:03:49.312 - moved digital opportunity grants to the fiber connectivity fund. We've moved computer capital replacement 03:03:49.312 --> 03:03:51.774 - away from the declining telecom. 03:03:51.874 --> 03:04:02.747 - funds into Edie Edie lit and then we also as controller McKim mentioned fully fund the fiber connectivity 03:04:02.747 --> 03:04:13.311 - fund which will end our funding obligation Under our agreement with with meridian In conclusion, thank 03:04:13.311 --> 03:04:16.286 - you for consideration of the 03:04:16.450 --> 03:04:23.247 - 2027 ITS budget look forward to helping staff meet their goals and potential with technology tools and 03:04:23.247 --> 03:04:29.979 - support in 2027 and we appreciate the opportunity to serve our sister city departments as well as the 03:04:29.979 --> 03:04:36.842 - Bloomington community and with that I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have Thank you. 03:04:36.842 --> 03:04:42.782 - Thank you director Dietz. We'll go to questions from council Councilmember Piedmont Smith 03:04:45.346 --> 03:04:55.896 - Yes, does it have an inventory of AI systems used by city employees? We have some visibility into Traffic, 03:04:55.896 --> 03:05:05.362 - you know on our network. It's not actively managed in an invasive way and that it's not sitting 03:05:05.362 --> 03:05:14.334 - on individuals Computers, but we can see that some some traffic is going out. Also we have 03:05:14.530 --> 03:05:23.154 - tools that we know are are being used and at least informally support in addition, we have a process 03:05:23.154 --> 03:05:31.777 - ongoing right now to you know flesh out a You know policy regime around, you know AI use in the city 03:05:31.777 --> 03:05:40.316 - that we're currently reviewing with the with the legal department and will expand that circle to HR 03:05:40.316 --> 03:05:44.158 - and other other departments for feedback and 03:05:45.410 --> 03:05:55.020 - Okay, that's good to know but Do you have an actual like list of the systems or programs that use AI 03:05:55.020 --> 03:06:04.629 - that are used here in the city? Yes, and no there's a number of AI specific tools that we know about 03:06:04.629 --> 03:06:14.334 - I think one of the challenges and anybody in the IE or anybody in the IT field can attest to that and 03:06:14.530 --> 03:06:26.595 - to this, that systems that were not AI tools now are, and an update that would seem to be innocuous 03:06:26.595 --> 03:06:38.781 - on an operating system or on a web application, or even an update that you might not be aware of may 03:06:38.781 --> 03:06:40.350 - incorporate. 03:06:40.706 --> 03:06:53.257 - AI tools into it. So, you know, we think it's important to have that AI policy guidance that we're working 03:06:53.257 --> 03:06:54.782 - on Thank you 03:06:55.906 --> 03:07:03.950 - I'm just looking at the, because there's the mention within the budget about a general increase because 03:07:03.950 --> 03:07:11.685 - of the technology that we want to use for accounts, but it's unclear to me where exactly that is in 03:07:11.685 --> 03:07:17.950 - the budget. If we wanted to cut that out of the budget, what would be being cut? 03:07:18.146 --> 03:07:26.589 - Funding for the financial upgrade for instance. So that that is currently in you know what we generally 03:07:26.589 --> 03:07:34.950 - describe as the Capital budget for ITS, but that is in the ED lit. Oh, it's it's from an ED lit. We're 03:07:34.950 --> 03:07:43.312 - okay Yeah, yeah, that's where that and then you and you estimate it to be six hundred thousand dollars 03:07:43.312 --> 03:07:44.286 - That is our 03:07:44.578 --> 03:07:53.060 - initial budgetary estimate, but that is in tandem with the investment in HR is which is Okay, so that's 03:07:53.060 --> 03:08:01.216 - 600 figures referring to all of the different IT systems that people have talked about legal system 03:08:01.216 --> 03:08:09.454 - HR system and the no that is referring to the financial the core financial management payroll all of 03:08:09.454 --> 03:08:12.798 - the components you know accounts payable 03:08:13.026 --> 03:08:23.998 - Accounts receivable all of that is in the six hundred thousand Okay component is previously budgeted, okay 03:08:24.226 --> 03:08:29.853 - I think it was at 300,000. Okay, fantastic. If you could tell me later just as a follow-up. Yeah, I'm 03:08:29.853 --> 03:08:35.370 - happy to break it all down. Yeah, I was just going to say as a follow-up and to distinguish between 03:08:35.370 --> 03:08:40.997 - the bits that are supposedly being spent on outcome-based implementation and the things that are sort 03:08:40.997 --> 03:08:46.624 - of other technologies that are being adopted. Right, this would be separate from that in a sense, but 03:08:46.624 --> 03:08:49.438 - as has been discussed, it's an underlying platform 03:08:49.762 --> 03:08:56.479 - Upgrade that will certainly help with that. Sure fantastic and I'll have some follow-up questions on 03:08:56.479 --> 03:09:03.195 - that but the the other question I was gonna ask was Related to a procurement sort of building off of 03:09:03.195 --> 03:09:09.912 - and purchasing building off councilman Piedmont Smith's question Could you explain just a little bit 03:09:09.912 --> 03:09:16.894 - the the like where ITS plays a role? When the city is purchasing any type of technology if at all it Yes 03:09:17.538 --> 03:09:25.811 - You know our there's a number of different roles. It depends on The you know the function of the system 03:09:25.811 --> 03:09:34.083 - if it is a overall enterprise touching You know pervasive system then you know, we are largely leading, 03:09:34.083 --> 03:09:43.390 - you know that process You know with with in partnership with other departments if it is department specific software 03:09:43.714 --> 03:09:51.910 - I'm just gonna throw something out like the tools that you know park parks uses To you know to manage, 03:09:51.910 --> 03:09:59.866 - you know its operations then you know, we will be a partner and you know facilitate that and ensure 03:09:59.866 --> 03:10:08.062 - that it's meeting our You know our IT standards But this the selection the determination will you know 03:10:08.062 --> 03:10:11.006 - largely be? That departments not not 03:10:11.234 --> 03:10:18.040 - Clarifies it perfectly. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you Thank you so much I just have a couple follow-ups 03:10:18.040 --> 03:10:24.341 - about that non reverting telecom fund And so I don't know if this is more for you or the controller 03:10:24.341 --> 03:10:31.273 - or kind of a tag team Is that a fund that's unique to Bloomington or is that a fund that other municipalities 03:10:31.273 --> 03:10:31.966 - have to? I 03:10:33.090 --> 03:10:40.095 - Because I'm I guess I'm looking at the origin of the fund and it has to do with cable franchise fee 03:10:40.095 --> 03:10:47.240 - revenues And so it's no surprise that declining but there's yes, there's a convoluted story, you know 03:10:47.240 --> 03:10:54.805 - to that we used to I'll try to be quick. We used to write our own franchise agreements with cable providers 03:10:54.805 --> 03:11:01.950 - Municipalities used to have that power the state of Indiana at the request of you know a largely AT&T 03:11:02.082 --> 03:11:10.437 - Stripped that authority from local governments. It's now state has franchise authority, but in that 03:11:10.437 --> 03:11:18.792 - transition they retained I believe a five percent, you know cap on Revenue that would come to local 03:11:18.792 --> 03:11:27.397 - governments because of the of the franchise That was the called the franchise fee which was negotiated 03:11:27.397 --> 03:11:31.742 - and we still retain that but as you rightly suggest 03:11:32.130 --> 03:11:39.469 - That five percent is not what it used to be and has declined significantly over the years so it's no 03:11:39.469 --> 03:11:46.954 - longer a source of fund that we can rely on at the at the level that we have in right so I guess since 03:11:46.954 --> 03:11:54.293 - that is not say I mean so that's not a unique problem to Bloomington per se yes, so I guess I'm just 03:11:54.293 --> 03:12:01.342 - wondering if there have been conversations anywhere about recouping those revenues through other 03:12:01.666 --> 03:12:07.409 - Like fee is related to say streaming services for example because of course, you know we cut ties with 03:12:07.409 --> 03:12:13.040 - cable and then people just have streaming services instead and You know in terms of like a household 03:12:13.040 --> 03:12:18.615 - budget that feels sort of equivalent But in terms of what we're talking about right now in terms of 03:12:18.615 --> 03:12:24.246 - government funds, it's not so has there been discussion about about that at the state level or a lot 03:12:24.246 --> 03:12:29.989 - of discussion about that and a lot of local governments would you know would like that but the federal 03:12:29.989 --> 03:12:31.550 - government does not allow a 03:12:31.682 --> 03:12:40.367 - I think generally speaking local governments to tax Or create a fee structure for streaming streaming 03:12:40.367 --> 03:12:49.223 - video And does that apply to state to does the federal government also not allow I have to look at what 03:12:49.223 --> 03:12:58.590 - the current FCC? Guidelines are but that that very thing has been a topic of discussion as the kind of decent 03:12:58.914 --> 03:13:06.869 - Stripping of local governments of that authority has moved across across the United States but To my 03:13:06.869 --> 03:13:14.824 - understanding there's no source of revenue that we are able to tap from Streaming you know streaming 03:13:14.824 --> 03:13:23.646 - internet-based streaming video services. Okay, great. Thank you. That's just very interesting Further questions 03:13:26.594 --> 03:13:38.665 - We will go to the public then for comments on information technology services department budget for 03:13:38.665 --> 03:13:48.926 - 2027 Any takers Okay We're back to council for final comment on our last budget item 03:13:52.898 --> 03:14:00.496 - I'll make a very quick final comment and thank anybody who has hung with us this long through four budget 03:14:00.496 --> 03:14:08.382 - meetings Thank IT for wrapping us up here. I thank them generally as a department Cybersecurity is incredibly 03:14:08.382 --> 03:14:15.693 - important and I appreciate that that is a priority that you guys have had this year and will continue 03:14:15.693 --> 03:14:17.342 - into next year there's 03:14:17.442 --> 03:14:25.357 - all kinds of pieces of cybersecurity and all sorts of really really important Stuff that the government 03:14:25.357 --> 03:14:33.043 - needs to protect in terms of I mean There's a lot of information out there and I'm glad that that we 03:14:33.043 --> 03:14:40.958 - have some folks paying attention to how to protect it securely. Thanks Other comments on the ITS budget 03:14:44.610 --> 03:14:54.769 - Okay saying none thank you so much for your presentation good work Without objection I'd like to provide 03:14:54.769 --> 03:15:04.734 - the council with an opportunity for for comments on the budget overall No objection anyone anyone like 03:15:04.734 --> 03:15:13.054 - to take a moment I Guess I did this for selfish reasons, so I'm gonna say something I 03:15:14.562 --> 03:15:23.550 - Yeah, well here's very briefly What what what strikes me is The tremendous numbers of needs we have 03:15:23.550 --> 03:15:33.347 - in in capital investment coming soon and Those proposed things like utility service center police department 03:15:33.347 --> 03:15:42.604 - building construction public works facility parks and recreation capital needs What I hope to be a tap 03:15:42.604 --> 03:15:44.222 - road fire station 03:15:44.802 --> 03:15:52.387 - These things are adding up to big big money like over a hundred million dollars so How will they be 03:15:52.387 --> 03:16:00.428 - paid for? Obviously we're going to be taking bonds at a time when things are very volatile in our economy 03:16:00.428 --> 03:16:08.165 - And we're going to have to think about because of the state action for limiting revenue from property 03:16:08.165 --> 03:16:13.854 - taxes I think we're gonna have to be looking obviously at income taxes and 03:16:14.242 --> 03:16:21.292 - We're gonna be looking at We're also looking at increase in water and sewer rates. We're looking at 03:16:21.292 --> 03:16:28.482 - increases in sanitation fees Some of these reports are just necessary to keep up with costs inflation 03:16:28.482 --> 03:16:35.602 - and so forth, but It's it you know it It gives me great pause because I think of all these needs are 03:16:35.602 --> 03:16:43.005 - important but some are more important than others and to me I need to think about them relative to their 03:16:43.005 --> 03:16:44.062 - importance and 03:16:44.898 --> 03:16:53.008 - And I'm not going to give away what I think is most important right now But just to say that I think 03:16:53.008 --> 03:17:01.198 - that you know, it really requires some kind of judicious ranking of them The last thing I want to say 03:17:01.198 --> 03:17:09.871 - last three things I want to say is that I think it's a modest request just to keep Jack Hopkins Essentially 03:17:09.871 --> 03:17:14.046 - increasing relative to and on pace with inflation I 03:17:14.402 --> 03:17:22.460 - We found out during this budget hearing that deer are real concern in the city obviously they've been 03:17:22.460 --> 03:17:30.517 - but we have a count of 90 deer per square mile and I looked at the report this evening it was sent to 03:17:30.517 --> 03:17:38.496 - me by the DNR and it's in some areas there over 100 deer per square mile, which is an extreme it's a 03:17:38.496 --> 03:17:43.710 - critical level of of deer numbers we've had a very wet season and 03:17:44.002 --> 03:17:51.425 - This means there's lots of forage, but that's not necessarily going to be the case And so we're getting 03:17:51.425 --> 03:17:58.848 - a lot of deer population increase And that is concerned for people with obviously safety gardening food 03:17:58.848 --> 03:18:06.628 - food production and and public health So that's a concern that's going to be required I think some resources 03:18:06.628 --> 03:18:11.838 - and the first thing to do is I think continue tracking their numbers and 03:18:11.970 --> 03:18:19.942 - And then the last thing was there was some discussion about a food policy coordinator, which I think 03:18:19.942 --> 03:18:27.362 - is a very prudent thing to think about going forward because food's important for people, and 03:18:27.362 --> 03:18:35.571 - it's particularly important for people in hard times to understand how they can access food, grow food, 03:18:35.571 --> 03:18:41.886 - and have a resilient food system at a time when we might experience things like 03:18:42.050 --> 03:18:49.735 - Supply disruptions and so forth so Communities have taken that as a priority and I think that we should 03:18:49.735 --> 03:18:57.346 - we should we should learn from their experience So that's what I have to say is any anyone want to end 03:18:57.346 --> 03:19:05.031 - with anything? Okay, and Controller McKim requested that we have that he be given a few moments because 03:19:05.031 --> 03:19:10.942 - we have our budget legislation introduction on September 23rd, I understand and 03:19:11.362 --> 03:19:17.945 - Do you want to tell us? Essentially the process from here on. Yeah. Thank you very much. It'll just 03:19:17.945 --> 03:19:24.726 - take a moment I think as you know everything that we've already been doing is Internal pre-work to the 03:19:24.726 --> 03:19:31.375 - formal budget submission the actual budget submission happens through the state's gateway system And 03:19:31.375 --> 03:19:38.024 - our intention is to advertise the budget via gateway around September 9th or 10th The drop dead date 03:19:38.024 --> 03:19:38.814 - is the 13th 03:19:38.946 --> 03:19:45.082 - which is a Sunday. Once the budget has been advertised, it can still be lowered but not increased. And 03:19:45.082 --> 03:19:51.158 - so if there's any council interest in increasing the budget anywhere, those discussions need to start 03:19:51.158 --> 03:19:57.175 - pretty much now. And I know we've heard one example from Councilmember Rallo on that. Then after the 03:19:57.175 --> 03:20:03.132 - advertisement, the public hearing for the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23rd at 630. 03:20:03.132 --> 03:20:07.838 - And the final budget adoption hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th. 03:20:08.066 --> 03:20:15.518 - Also at 630 and so that's really bad. That's the budget process here in a nutshell So thank you for 03:20:15.518 --> 03:20:23.044 - giving me a moment to just let her make sure we're on the same page Terrific. Thank you a question I 03:20:23.044 --> 03:20:30.570 - do have a question in terms of it can only be cut and not increased Could it be cut in one place and 03:20:30.570 --> 03:20:36.830 - increased in another for a net zero? Within a fund. Yes within a fund. Okay. Thanks 03:20:39.778 --> 03:20:48.176 - Any other questions for the controller? Anything else for the good of the order comes my rough When 03:20:48.176 --> 03:20:56.741 - you say within a fund you mean with where the funds come for to fund that Thing you're talking about. 03:20:56.741 --> 03:21:05.391 - I mean like the general fund the Edie lid fund Okay, anything else Thank you to the administration and 03:21:05.391 --> 03:21:08.414 - it's been a very productive process 03:21:09.186 --> 03:21:09.822 - We're adjourned.